Since the FDA approved Latisse® (with its active ingredient Bimatoprost) in December of 2008, there has been an ongoing buzz about its proven results on eyelash growth. It might surprise you to learn that Latisse® did not originate as a cosmetic product. In fact, the popular eyelash treatment was originally used as in eye drops for glaucoma patients. When lash growth was acknowledged as a side effect to the drops, Bimatoprost was re-approved by the FDA for cosmetic purposes.
Since then, more benefits of Bimatoprost having been surfacing. The use of Latisse® for eyebrow growth is now being explored, as well as for hair growth on the scalp. Patients seeking full eyebrows like Denise Richards or Anne Hathaway may benefit from this in the future. And although it might be costly, the popular eyelash enhancer could be used for future for hair loss treatments as well.
The compound Bimatoprost has also been shown to reduce adipose tissue in mammals, commonly known as body fat. Studies are currently underway to test Bimatoprost injections on fatty deposits in the human body. The cosmetic industry may see a future fat reduction treatment that mirrors Botox and filler injections, making weight loss easier for patients. Don’t cancel your gym membership too soon, though. It will take a few years for said treatments to be approved by the FDA. Bimatoprost is currently only used in the U.S. for glaucoma treatment in and eyelash growth in the form of the prescription Lumigan and Latisse®.
As for side effects, Latisse® is one of the safest treatments out there. During clinical trials, the most common side effect after using the solution was itchy or red eyes, which was only reported by about 4% of users. Bimatoprost has passed FDA regulations twice now, for both medical and cosmetic purposes, just like Botox.
