Latisse

Latisse helps make your eyelashes longer, thicker and darker. Once you stop using the eye drops, your eye lashes will return to their original appearance. May cause your eyes to turn a brown color.

Latisse Overview

Reviewed: June 13, 2012
Updated: 

Latisse is a prescription eye drop used to grow eyelashes, and to make them longer, thicker and darker.

Latisse belongs to a group of drugs called prostaglandins. It works by increasing the number of eyelash hairs that grow.

This medication comes it the form of an eye drop and is typically applied once at night.

Common side effects of Latisse include an itching sensation in the eyes and eye redness.

How was your experience with Latisse?

First, a little about yourself

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What tips would you provide a friend before taking Latisse?

What are you taking Latisse for?

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  • Other
  • Glaucoma, Open-angle

How long have you been taking it?

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  • Less than a week
  • A couple weeks
  • A month or so
  • A few months
  • A year or so
  • Two years or more

How well did Latisse work for you?

Did you experience many side effects while taking this drug?

How likely would you be to recommend Latisse to a friend?

Latisse Cautionary Labels

precautions

Uses of Latisse

Latisse is a prescription eye drop used to grow eyelashes and to make them longer, thicker and darker.

This medication may be prescribed for other uses. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Manufacturer

Latisse Drug Class

Latisse is part of the drug class:

Side Effects of Latisse

Latisse may cause side effects. 

The most common side effects after using Latisse are:

  • itching sensation in the eyes
  • eye redness
  • skin darkening
  • eye irritation
  • dryness of the eyes
  • redness of the eyelids

Latisse may turn the iris (the colored part of the eye) brown. This change may be permanent. Latisse may also darken the eyelid skin, and cause eyelashes to grow longer and thicker and darken in color. These conditions may be reversible after treatment is stopped. Tell your doctor if you experience these changes.

Some side effects can be serious. If you experience any of the following side effects, call your doctor immediately:

  • sensitivity to light
  • pink eye
  • redness or swelling of the eyelid

This is not a complete list of Latisse side effects. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Latisse Interactions

Tell your doctor about all of the medicines you take including prescription and non-prescription medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. Especially tell your doctor if you take:

  • any other topical eye medicines
  • latanoprost (Xalatan)
  • tafluprost (Zioptan)

This is not a complete list of Latisse drug interactions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist for more information.

Latisse Precautions

Latisse may turn the iris (the colored part of the eye) brown. This change may be permanent.

Latisse may also darken the eyelid skin. These conditions may be reversible after treatment is stopped. Tell your doctor if you experience these changes. These changes are not harmful, and you can continue treatments if they occur.

Macular edema (swelling of the macula of the eye) has occurred in some people who used Latisse. Tell your doctor if you experience vision changes.

Bacterial keratitis (a serious infection of the cornea that can quickly lead to blindness) can occur in people who use eye drops. Sometimes it is caused by accidental contamination of the eye drop bottle by the users, particularly in people who have corneal disease. To prevent contamination, never touch the tip of the bottle with your eye, hands, or any other surfaces.

Contact lenses should be removed before using Latisse and may be reinserted 15 minutes following its administration.

Latisse Food Interactions

Medicines can interact with certain foods. In some cases, this may be harmful and your doctor may advise you to avoid certain foods. In the case of Latisse there are no specific foods that you must exclude from your diet when using Latisse.

Inform MD

Before receiving Latisse, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions including if you:

  • are allergic to Latisse or any other medications
  • have inflammation of the eye (uveitis or iritis)
  • have or have had pressure problems in the eyes
  • have a torn or missing lens
  • have kidney or liver disease
  • are pregnant or breastfeeding

Tell your doctor about all of the medications you take including prescription and nonprescription medications, vitamins, nutritional supplements, and herbal products.

Latisse and Pregnancy

Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant.

The FDA categorizes medications based on safety for use during pregnancy. Five categories - A, B, C, D, and X, are used to classify the possible risks to an unborn baby when a medication is taken during pregnancy.

This medication falls into category C.  No well-controlled studies have been done in humans. Therefore, this medication may be used if the potential benefits to the mother outweigh the potential risks to the unborn child.

Latisse and Lactation

Tell your doctor if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if Latisse is excreted in human breast milk or if it will harm your nursing baby.

Latisse Usage

Latisse is packaged with 60 sterile, disposable applicators. It is applied once daily at night as follows:

Once nightly, start by ensuring your face is clean, makeup and contact lenses are removed. Remove an applicator from its tray. Then, holding the sterile applicator horizontally, place one drop of Latisse on the area of the applicator closest to the tip but not on the tip. Then immediately draw the applicator carefully across the skin of the upper eyelid margin at the base of the eyelashes (where the eyelashes meet the skin) going from the inner part of your lash line to the outer part. Blot any excess solution beyond the eyelid margin. Dispose of the applicator after one use.

Repeat for the opposite upper eyelid margin using a new sterile applicator. This helps minimize any potential for contamination from one eyelid to another.

DO NOT APPLY in your eye or to the lower lid. ONLY use the sterile applicators supplied to apply the product. If you miss a dose, don't try to “catch up.” Just apply it the next evening. 

If any solution gets into the eye proper, it is not expected to cause harm. The eye should not be rinsed.

Don't allow the tip of the bottle or applicator to contact surrounding structures, fingers, or any other unintended surface in order to avoid contamination by common bacteria known to cause infections.

Contact lenses should be removed prior to application and may be reinserted 15 minutes following its administration.

If you stop using Latisse, your eyelashes are expected to return to their previous appearance over several weeks to months.

Latisse Dosage

The recommended dosage of Latisse is one application nightly to the skin of the upper eyelid margin at the base of the eyelashes only.

Latisse Overdose

If you take apply too much Latisse call your healthcare provider or local Poison Control Center, or seek emergency medical attention right away.

Other Requirements

  • Store Latisse at 36°-77°F (2°-25°C).
  • Keep this and all medicines out of the reach of children.