The following blog is about a prostaglandin product that increases the size and thickness of eyelashes. For all of you that want longer, thicker, eyelashes, the product has arrived in Canada and is available at our clinic. This prescription product is from Allergan®, the company that introduced Botox® over 10 years ago. We also supply their excellent Juvederm® line of dermal fillers. This reliable company takes great pride in their products, and the lash growing product has been a big hit here in Canada. I am not allowed to give you the name of the product because of the regulations regarding advertising of drugs and medications. Although this is meant to be an informative article that educates the public, I had to revise this blog because I was sent a legal letter by the government agency responsible for monitoring drug advertising, even though I was just reporting on the results of scientific clinical studies.

The product is FDA and Health Canada approved, and it really works (in fact, it is the only FDA approved treatment clinically proven to grow eyelashes). It has been a big hit in the USA, flying off the shelves (over a million and a half sold in a year), but all sorts of little problems caused delays in the Canadian approval process.

I was on an advisory board for the Company last year concerning this product. I have looked at the data, and I feel very confident providing this product to my patients. The patients in a clinical study for FDA approval who used the product for 16 weeks had eyelashes that were about twice as thick, 25% longer, and about 20% darker than before treatment. The prostaglandin analog contained in L______ is the same as the active ingredient in one of Allergan’s glaucoma medications. Eye surgeons noted that their glaucoma patients treated with this medication developed fuller, thicker eyelashes as a side effect. So the marketing wizards put two and two together, and so Latisse® was born. If the product is not used carefully, it can cause redness and itching in about 4% of patients, and if applied in a sloppy fashion can cause the eyelid skin contacted by the product to become temporarily darker.

Brooke Shields, before and after.

The price of the product is $150 (the same as in the USA). We are supplying our customers with a few extras, not the least of which is a special lip plumper that I think you are going to like! The L_____ vial comes in a 3 ml size, along with a one month supply of 60 single use special application brushes, but this amount typically will last you much longer than one month (our staff can show you how to use it sparingly and still get the full benefit). When you come into the office, one of our professionals will be happy to show you how to use the product safely. Application is done nightly, just before bedtime (you have to remove your contact lenses first). You simply put a drop of the solution onto the special applicator, and then gently brush along the skin of the upper eyelid margin at the base of the eyelashes. You can only treat your upper lashes, not the lowers. Within two months, you will start to see changes in the thickness, color, and fullness of your upper eyelashes.

The bad news is that it is not permanent. If you stop using the product, your lashes will gradually shrink down to where they used to be (this has been demonstrated clinically). Most of our staff are using the product and loving the results. My daughter especially likes the fuller thicker lashes. We have photos of before and after patients that can be seen in the office. I think this is a very good product for its indication and it really works, but you have to be seen by a medical professional and be properly educated about the risks and complications of using this medication.

The worldwide mascara market is around $5Billion dollars, and I think it is pretty obvious that this product will continue to be very successful. It is a prescription only product, and a consultation is required to get it.

Claudio DeLorenzi MD FRCS