Not all of us were blessed with long, thick, and beautiful eyelashes. However, owing to the latest advancements in medical aesthetics, even those of us who weren’t born with long and beautiful eyelashes can have them without the need for extensions or glue.

Latisse is the only FDA-approved eyelash enhancer on the market. Latisse makes your upper eyelashes longer, thicker, and darker. Latisse is a once-a-day prescription treatment that you apply by yourself to the base of your eyelashes every evening. Latisse is an approved treatment for hypotrichosis, which is the condition of not having enough eyelashes. Latisse is not a replacement for mascara but can be used in addition to mascara.

Latisse is thought to increase the length of the growth phase of your eyelashes and increase the number of hairs that grow during this phase. The exact way that Latisse works is not completely understood.

Treatment must be continued for up to 16 weeks for optimal results. Many patients start seeing results at around eight weeks but full results are not apparent until around 12-16 weeks after treatment was started. The growth and effects of treatment are very gradual.

The most common side effects of using Latisse include eye redness and itching. During clinical testing, 4% of patients experienced these side effects. Less common side effects of using Latisse include redness of the eyelids, eye irritation, dryness of the eyes, and skin darkening. For skin that repeatedly comes into contact with the Latisse solution, hair growth may occur. If you have a history of eye pressure problems or are taking prescription medication for lowering eye pressure, only use Latisse under the close supervision of your doctor. Dr. Mulligan and her staff are available to discuss any of your concerns about side effects.