Have you ever watched someone walk into a room and wondered to yourself, “Are they real?” I know what you’re thinking. After all, it is a plastic surgery website and that may be why you are here. But what I’m talking about right now is – eyelashes!

I know at some point of time in your life you have had eyelash envy. Have you ever stopped to calculate how much money you have spent to enhance your eyelashes? Cosmeceuticals are a multi-billion dollar industry and although eyelash products make up only a small portion, it is still an impressive amount. Just think of all the mascara and eyeliner that you have purchased, or all the extensions or tinting you have paid for in search of the elusive “gorgeous eyelashes”. Everyone wants to enhance their eyelashes.

Recently a new product became available that allows everyone to enhance the appearance of their own eyelashes. It began as a treatment for an eye condition called glaucoma, but one of the very interesting properties of this medication is that it makes your eyelashes grow! Produced by Allergan (the same company that makes Botox), this product is poised to be the next weapon of mass enhancement to combat short, stubby, thin eyelashes. It is called Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution).

Latisse is applied nightly to the base of the eyelashes with its accompanying applicator brush. Patients experience maximum results after about 14 weeks of use. On average patients experience a 25% increase in length, a 100% increase in number of lashes, and a 20% increase in darkness. Of course results may vary, but these are the average numbers. You absolutely have to see how well it lengthens and enhances eyelashes to believe it. Once you’ve seen it, you’ll want to have it.

It works by increasing the time that each eyelash spends in its active growth cycle called the anagen phase. The remaining phases of growth, catagen (transition) and telogen (resting), don’t enhance the appearance of the eyelashes. After telogen phase the eyelash is shed. By increasing the duration of the active growth phase of the eyelash each eyelash grows longer and you subsequently have more eyelashes growing at any given time (increased density). The eyelashes will also darken slightly.

So how can you get Latisse? It is a prescription medication so you can only get it through your doctor. Utah is one of five states where physicians can not dispense the medication from their office, but we are more than happy to give you a prescription. Another reason to call one of our offices for the prescription is because we can give you some hints and tricks to help make your prescription last two, three, or even up to four times longer! Additionally, our offices usually have information on which pharmacies have lower prices for Latisse. Unfortunately, this is not a prescription that any health insurance will cover, so you will want to know the cheapest place to get it.

Latisse is a safe medication when used as directed and the most common side effect in their clinical trial was slight eyelid irritation. If you have glaucoma you will want to check with your ophthalmologist to ensure that it remains in good control while using the medication (when used as directed it does not affect the control of glaucoma significantly). If you’re pregnant, you should not use Latisse – just let people comment on your cute tummy instead of your eyelashes. If you ever stop using Latisse your eyelashes will just slowly return to their regular length and density.

What are you waiting for? Call one of our offices today to get more information and get your prescription for Latisse.