Long, dark eyelashes can make a big impact on your everyday look, but mascara isn’t the only option when it comes to enhancing the appearance of your eyelashes. Available by prescription, LATISSE® is the only FDA-approved eyelash treatment clinically proven to improve the length, fullness and darkness of lashes. With the help of Drs. Joel and Daniel Schlessinger of Schlessinger MD, we’re here to answer some frequently asked questions about LATISSE®.
What are the benefits of LATISSE® eyelash treatment?
LATISSE® is a prescription medication that helps people with thinning or sparse eyelashes grow fuller, longer and darker lashes in sixteen weeks. “Eyelashes can become thinner and lighter in color with age, but fortunately Latisse is allowing many individuals to step away from the dreary nature of glue-on lash extensions,” says Dr. Joel Schlessinger, board certified dermatologist, Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon. “If your eyelashes are already brittle and thinning, the process of gluing on and removing false lashes can be rough on the natural eyelashes you do have left. It also runs the risk of leading to a skin allergy called allergic contact dermatitis. I’ve found LATISSE® to be very effective in regrowing darker, longer eyelashes and brows with very few side effects.”
How do you use LATISSE® eyelash treatment?
LATISSE® is a liquid that you brush across the skin of your upper eyelid, right at the base of your eyelashes, using a sterile one-time-use brush applicator. You’ll use one drop of LATISSE® and a fresh applicator for each eyelid, once daily.
Step 1: PREP
Start by removing makeup and contact lenses, then cleansing your face and washing your hands.
Step 2: APPLY
Open your sterile applicators, there is one for each eye. Place one drop directly on the bristles of the first applicator. Brush the applicator along the lash line of your eyelid. Then repeat this step for the next eye with a new applicator. Wipe away any excess solution that strays from your lash line.
Step 3: ENJOY
Toss the one-time use applicators. Within 12-16 weeks enjoy your longer, fuller, darker lashes. Use regularly to maintain results.
What are the side effects of LATISSE® eyelash treatment?
Fewer than four percent of patients in a LATISSE® clinical study reported side effects such as eye redness, itching or dry eye symptoms. “I do advise my blue-eyed patients that LATISSE® has the potential side effect of darkening eye color in a small number of people,” says Dr. Daniel Schlessinger, board-certified dermatologist as well as Mohs surgeon and cosmetic surgeon. “For this reason, I recommend my patients with blue eyes use LATISSE® with caution, making sure to apply it only to the upper lash line and not in the eye, and also to discontinue use if they notice the color of their eyes changing from blue to a slightly brownish hue.”
The active ingredient in LATISSE® eyelash treatment is bimatoprost, which is a prostaglandin analogue (PGA) originally used for the treatment of glaucoma. The medical community has taken an interest in studying whether topical eyelash treatments containing PGA cause eyelid fat loss as a side effect. A 2022 study compared before-and-after photographs of eyelash treatments containing PGA and found users did seem to develop some visible loss in eyelid fat and volume.
“Upper eyelid fat loss is a known concern with Latisse, but I feel it actually tends to enhance many eyes if there is hooding noted. It generally will be noticed in about six months or so. ,” Dr. Joel Schlessinger says. “Though this is considered a side effect, many of my patients have noticed that shrinking fat in this area actually improves the appearance of their eyelids. This makes LATISSE® an eye makeover in more ways than one!”
How to get a prescription for LATISSE® eyelash treatment
If you live in the Omaha area, you can be evaluated for LATISSE® eyelash treatment with a walk-in medical consultation at the Schlessinger MD clinic at 2802 Oak View Drive in Omaha. No advanced appointment is necessary and the clinic is open 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Whether you’re a local Omaha patient or you’re now living elsewhere, you can also get your LATISSE® prescription filled online through a virtual 1:1 consultation with Dr. Joel Schlessinger. If you’re a great candidate for LATISSE®, you can pick up your ten-week supply kit same-day at the clinic or we’re happy to mail your kit to your home for no additional charge.
Bundle and save! Save up to $120 when you bundle LATISSE® refills, plus Alle rewards members can earn 140 Alle points per kit!
Over-the-counter options to enhance your eyelashes
If prescription LATISSE® is not an option for you, there are several over-the-counter eyelash-enhancing serums available that might be a good fit. Here are a few favorites recommended by the Schlessinger MD clinical team.
Obagi Nu-Cil Eyelash Enhancing Serum
This once-a-day eyelash-enhancing serum helps improve the appearance of your eyelashes with biotin, panthenol, hyaluronic acid and NouriPlex Technology, Obagi’s proprietary blend of eyelash-enhancing ingredients. In a sixteen-week clinical trial, 93% of users said their eyelashes showed visible improvement, and 89% said their eyelashes looked thicker and more densely packed.
ReTress Volumizing Lash & Brow Serum
Developed by board-certified dermatologist Dr. Candace Spann, this topical serum helps both eyelashes and eyebrows look thicker and bolder. The formula contains a biotin-tripeptide to nourish and visibly enhance the thickness of lashes and brows while amino acids derived from soy and wheat act as conditioning agents as well.
RevitaLash Cosmetics Advanced Eyelash Conditioner
Ophthalmologist Dr. Michael Brinkenhoff created the first RevitaLash eyelash serum to help his wife regrow lost lashes during cancer treatment. It contains a proprietary technology called BioPeptin Complex, which is a unique blend of peptides, biotin, lipids and green tea extract. It also contains revitalizing plant extracts such as ginseng and saw palmetto and amino acids to help condition your eyelashes with every use. In a six-week consumer study, 98% of participants reported that their eyelashes looked healthier and felt stronger.
If you’re ready to give your eyelashes a boost, you can book a virtual appointment at Schlessinger MD to learn more about LATISSE® or shop eyelash serums, primers and conditioners on LovelySkin.com.