Everyone wants long, full eyelashes, but very few have them after a certain age. In some cases, people have what’s known as hypotrichosis, or inadequate growth of their eyelashes. While there are cosmetic ways to make sparse eyelashes look fuller, from mascara to eyelash extensions, you may want something longer-lasting or more natural.
Latisse, an FDA-approved treatment helps your lashes grow longer, thicker and darker over a period of 16 weeks. Clinical studies have been performed on Latisse to demonstrate its effectiveness. In one study, 78 percent of participants who were using Latisse had a significant increase in the length, thickness, and color of their lashes. Just 18 percent of participants in the placebo group had lash growth over the course of the study.
As with many treatments, you might have a few questions before you start using it. If you don’t see the answer to your question below, your provider will be happy to answer it during a consultation.
Can I Get It Without a Prescription?
No, a prescription for Latisse from a provider is required. You might see it offered online or at some salons without a prescription, but just as getting injections from a person who isn’t a medical provider is extremely risky, purchasing Latisse from a random source is also risky. Your provider or licensed Latisse seller can determine if the medicine is appropriate for you and can advise you of any side effects or potential risks involved in using it.
Working with your provider is particularly important if you have glaucoma or abnormal intraocular pressure. The active ingredient in Latisse was initially used as a treatment for increased pressure in the eyes. If you’re taking another medication for eye pressure, your provider will want to monitor you closely. The same is true if you have a history of any other type of eye disease.
Will I Still Need Mascara?
Whether or not you need mascara when using Latisse is really up to you. It takes up to 16 weeks for you to see the full results of the treatment, so you may want to use your mascara as usual during the time it takes for the lashes to grow. Once your lashes are fully grown, you might find that they are thick and long enough for you to skip mascara. Keep in mind that using Latisse does not preclude the use of mascara.
Can I Wear Contacts When Using It?
Yes. If you usually wear contact lenses to correct your vision, you won’t have to switch to glasses when using Latisse. The only special concern for contact lens wearers is that they take the lenses out when applying the medication, then wait 15 minutes before putting them back in the eyes.
Will new eyelashes grow in clumps or individually?
The eyelashes continue to grow as they would naturally and some people do have individual lashes while others have lashes that are closely positioned so that it looks like they are together in clumps. What Latisse does is make the lash grow longer, thicker, and darker and occasionally people will feel like these lumped together lashes are caused by the Latisse when in fact they have been present all along. They just are much easier to visualize due to the fact that the lashes are longer, thicker, and darker.
Will I Have Longer Lashes Forever?
The results after using Latisse can be dramatic, as reviews suggest. It does take some time for the treatment to work, as the lashes need time to grow. In many cases, it takes about three to four months before your lashes look longer and fuller.
You do need to keep using Latisse if you want to maintain your new, fuller lashes. If you discontinue the medication, growth will stop. Your lashes won’t go back to the way they were right away, though. It usually takes a few weeks or months for the results to wear off.
Does It Have Side Effects?
Like any medication, Latisse has some side effects, but those side effects are usually rare. Redness in the eye area and itchiness were the most common side effects. During the clinical trial for the medicine, those side effects only occurred in about 4 percent of patients.
One other potential side effect of Latisse is hyperpigmentation of the upper eyelid. When hyperpigmentation, or skin darkening, did occur, it usually faded after the medicine was stopped. An even more rare side effect was a darkening of the eye color. There is a slight chance that Latisse can turn lighter eyes — such as blue or hazel– brown and that the change in eye color can be permanent.
Will Larissa make my eyelashes less healthy? Will they stop growing or become brittle?
Typically, Latisse is going to make the lashes stronger not more brittle. You may be noticing that you have some broken lashes now, simply due to the fact that you are paying more attention to your eyelash area since you are using the Latisse product. More than likely, you have always had some breakage of lashes but this went unnoticed due to the fact that you were not as fixated on your lash growth as you are today. Overall, Latisse tends to make the eyelashes healthier, not more brittle and, certainly, if you are concerned about this, you can always discontinue the use of the product to see if the brittle nature of the lashes goes away as the results from Latisse are only temporary and exist only as long as you are continuously using the product.
Is There Anyone Who Shouldn’t Use Latisse?
Latisse can be used by men and women. There are some people who might want to avoid using it or only use it under close supervision by their provider. For example, if you’re pregnant or nursing, it’s usually recommended that you not use Latisse until after you’ve given birth or have stopped breastfeeding. If you have any eye issues, either before using the medicine or if you develop them while using Latisse, it’s a good idea to discuss your options with your doctor.
At Quintessa Medical Spa, Latisse is prescribed under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Campbell, a facial plastic surgeon. If you’re tired of using extensions to make your thin lashes look longer, talk to Dr. Campbell about whether Latisse is the right choice for you.
Does Latisse come in different shades or is it colorless?
The medication of Latisse is actually colorless and does not attempt to color your eyelashes. It does, however, cause the lashes to grow thicker, longer, and tends to make the eyelash itself darker. If you have truly blond eyelashes, then more than likely you will just grow longer, fuller blond eyelashes though you could get increased pigmentation of the lash due to the Latisse product. Obviously, you can apply mascara to your thicker, longer blond eyelashes to darken them, and only time will tell if the Latisse product will actually darken them naturally.
I love the results, but whathappens if I stop using Latisse?
You should continue using Latisse once your lashes reach their desired length and fullness. However, you should be able to greatly reduce the frequency that you use your Latisse and, therefore, significantly reduce the cost per month of the Latisse product. Most patients, after using the Latisse product nightly for many weeks, will show a significant improvement in the lash length and thickness as well as darkness and, once they achieve the desired effect, will typically use the Latisse anywhere from once a week to a few times a week to maintain their result. You will, however, have return of your natural normal lash size and length if you discontinue the Latisse product all together. Ultimately, each patient needs to titrate the amount of Latisse used for maintenance in order to determine how often they need to apply the product in order to maintain their ultimate result.
