Eyelash hypotrichosis is the medical term for not having enough length, thickness, or darkness of the eyelashes. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved an eyelash-thickening drug called Latisse®.

Eyelash hypotrichosis is the medical term for not having enough length, thickness, or darkness of the eyelashes. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved an eyelash-thickening drug called Latisse® .

The active ingredient in Latisse® is bimatroprost, a glaucoma drug that has been on the market for many years. Latisse® was developed after it was noted that patients taking the glaucoma drug experienced eyelash growth as a side effect. Although the exact launch date of this product has not yet been announced, Latisse® will only be available through a prescription from a doctor.

Latisse® users can expect to experience longer, fuller, darker eyelashes in as little as eight weeks, with full results by 16 weeks. In order to maintain these effects, continued treatment with the drug is required and, if treatment is discontinued, eyelashes will gradually return to where they were prior to treatment.

Source

Allergan, Inc. Press release, December 26, 2008.