Question: Are there any side effects of using Latisse?

Answer: Now the most common side effect of using Latisse is some minor pigmentation of the skin of the upper eyelid along the lash line. This can be avoided by blotting the product off of the eyelid skin after the application and blinking. Otherwise, eye irritation is relatively uncommon but can occur and other side effects are extremely unusual. A side effect that is talked about but so far has never actually been seen using the Latisse product is pigmentation of the iris or the colored part of the eye. The only reason this has been discussed is that the eyedrop with the same chemical has been shown to pigment or cause some browning of the iris in patients with green or hazel eyes. It is extremely uncommon but has been documented. Due to the fact that Latisse is not a drop that is placed in the eyeball but actually a product that is placed on the lash line, an exceptionally small amount of the product actually ends up on the eyeball itself and that is why there has not been a witnessed event of iris pigmentation to this date. Overall, Latisse has an exceptionally high satisfaction rate and patients can then go on a maintenance treatment with Latisse to maintain their longer, fuller, darker eyelashes.

Question: Is redness common when using Latisse?

Answer: No, redness is not common when using Latisse but certainly can occur in some individuals in the area where the product is placed. Some individuals also will cause some brown pigmentation of the skin in that area but this can typically be prevented by blotting the area after the application of the product. Overall, Latisse is extremely well tolerated and very effective.

Question: With Latisse do the eyelashes grow together in clumps or individually?

Answer: 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.

Question: I have been using Latisse for about six weeks now, and I have noticed some improvement as far as fullness goes. However, I have also noticed that my lashes are more brittle and prone to breakage than they used to be. Is it possible that the Latisse is making my eyelashes less healthy?

Answer: That seems a bit unusual as, 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.

Question: I am 32, female, and I have been thinking about using Latisse to make my eyelashes fuller. I have got pretty long eyelashes already, so I am not really interested in making them even longer. Does Latisse increase the length of the eyelashes as well as the abundance?

Answer: Yes, typically Latisse increases the length of the eyelash as well as the thickness and abundance of lashes. It can also increase the pigmentation of the lashes as well. If you already have long lashes, you may find that the use of the Latisse product actually makes your lashes too long to the point where, if you wear sunglasses, the lashes can end up touching the lens of the sunglasses that can be bothersome. I have actually had patients who, after the use of Latisse, have actually had to trim the length of their eyelashes due to the fact that they felt they were slightly too long. It is at that point in time that I recommend they go on a maintenance dose of Latisse where they use it once or maybe twice a week to try to maintain whatever length and thickness they desire.

Question: I have got very fair skin and light eyelashes. I have been thinking about getting Latisse but I am concerned about how light my eyelashes are. I guess I am kind of thinking of it like mascara. Does Latisse come in different shades or is it colorless?

Answer: 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.

Question: I am a 22-year-old blue-eyed female. I have always wished I had longer and fuller lashes, so I have recently been considering Latisse. I have heard some scary things about the product staining eye pigment though. Are blue-eyed people at more risk of developing pigment staining by Latisse?

Answer: Actually, blue-eyed people have no risk whatsoever of iris staining from Latisse due to the fact that they have no pigment in their iris, and that is why their eye color is blue.  Latisse cannot create pigment in blue-eyed patients, so there is nothing for you to worry about.  The product in Latisse has historically been used as an eyedrop, and there were a very small percentage of patients with green or hazel-colored eyes who would get pigmentation of their iris. 

Brown-eyed patients already have pigmentation in their iris, and blue-eyed patients cannot pigment their iris, so these patients really did not have an issue.  Furthermore, Latisse is placed in very small quantities on the lash, and an equivalent of 1/10 of 1% of the medication actually gets on the eyeball compared to the use of the aforementioned eyedrop.  Thus far, there has never been a case where Latisse has caused pigmentation of the iris but, due to the fact that the same product in eyedrop form has, the FDA required that they place this on their insert as a potential risk.  However, you as a blue-eyed patient really have no risk regarding this and I would, therefore, highly recommend Latisse if you desire longer and fuller lashes. 

Question: I am 24, female, and am interested in using Latisse.  I have heard both good and bad things about the product, and I want to make sure I am not disappointed.  Will I be able to get a refund if the product does not work?

Answer: I would severely doubt that you would be able to get a refund if the product did not work due to the fact that that product would therefore not be able to be used again.  I have not had any patient who has used Latisse as directed and has not seen an improvement in their eyelash thickness and length.  The most common side effects of Latisse are some brownish discoloration of the skin, which can be prevented by blotting the product after its application.  The risk of iris pigmentation has actually not ever been documented in a Latisse patient but has only been noted in a very small percentage of patients who use the same medication as an eyedrop for eye pressure.  I, therefore, am very comfortable prescribing Latisse to our patients as it has a very low risk of any sort of complication and yet is extremely effective in producing more aesthetic lashes.