Not anymore. Now you can grow your lashes longer and thicker. Sounds like some sort of late-night infomercial, doesn’t it? Well, there’s no infomercial because this is a prescription eyelash-growing system that we provide for our patients at Affirm Health Center. It’s called Latisse, and it’s pretty amazing…especially if you’ve always had thin, wimpy eyelashes!
What is Latisse?
Latisse is made by Allergen, the company that makes Botox. And what Botox does for your crow’s feet, Latisse can do for your lashes. Latisse is a prescription eyelash treatment that is applied to the lashes once every day to encourage their growth. Over the application period, Latisse encourages your body to grow eyelashes that are longer and fuller. How cool is that?
Latisse was actually stumbled upon by accident. Scientists at Allergan were working on an eyedrop to relieve intraocular pressure in the eye. Subjects in the test found that their eyelashes grew during the study, so the company began testing the active ingredient, bimatoprost, specifically for growing eyelashes. It proved effective and the FDA approved it in December 2008. It is believed that the bimatoprost increases the anagen phase (that’s the growth phase) of the eyelashes.
How it works
Latisse takes time, but it’s worth it. You apply the product nightly on the upper lash, as if it were eyeliner. The bimatoprost in Latisse stimulates the lashes to grow. The treatment works gradually and your eyelashes will experience real growth over time, generally 12 to 16 weeks. But you must stay with it — once you start the treatment, the topical solution must be applied continuously each night until you achieve the desired results.
Results to make you bat your eyes
This isn’t one of those products that have marginal success. Latisse has been shown in research to be effective for 78% of users at the end of the 16-week cycle. Patients using Latisse reported a 25% increase in lash length, a 106% increase in lash thickness/fullness, and an 18% increase in lash darkness.
November in Springfield is a great time to start your Latisse eyelash treatment because come spring you’ll be ready to show off your new longer, thicker lashes to the world. Call us at Affirm Health Center, (417) 823-3901, to make your appointment for Latisse.
