Can We Use Latanoprost For Eyelash Growth

Bimatoprost is effective in promoting the increased growth of healthy eyelashes. The glaucoma medication is approved for increasing eyelash length, thickness, and darkness in patients with hypotrichosis of eyelashes.

Eyelashes decorate the eyes and enhance your overall appearance. Long and dark eyelashes are considered a sign of beauty. People have associated enhanced appearance of the eyes with significantly greater attractiveness for ages.  Whereas the thin or loss of eyelashes has been associated with a loss of eyelashes has been linked to loss of attractiveness and mental stress. Women often consider long and thick eyelashes to be desirable and greater growth of one’s eyelashes-built self-confidence, inducing a psychological effect. To achieve the look, women have employed techniques to improve their lash appearance. In addition to normal variation to the lash growth cycle, some patients experience the loss of normal eyelashes; a condition referred to as Madarosis. The eye loss condition can occur due to trauma, hypothyroidism, drugs, radiation, or rarely infection. If the hair follicles remain, the normal lash growth often resumes when the underlying cause of the disease is treated. Patients suffering from this eye condition may benefit from treatments aimed at improving the appearance of eyelashes. 

Luckily, women have several options for boosting their lash growth. Available for centuries, mascara, ‘pigments, resins to lengthen and thicken eyelashes. The effects of mascara are temporary; artificial lashes can stay at their place for several days to weeks and offer another option to enhance the appearance of their eyelashes. A permanent but expensive method of increasing the prominence of eyelashes is transplantation. The method requires regular trimming and curling.

Fortunately, there are options to augment the prominence of eyelashes were limited to makeup, artificial eyelashes, over the counter products, and eyelash transplantation, originally approved as a hypotensive agent topical bimatoprost ophthalmic solution 0.03% for the treatment of hypotrichosis of the eyelashes by increasing the length, thickness, and darkness of eyelashes. The mode of action by which the pharmaceutical agent enhances the growth of eyelashes is still not clear, but it is believed to extend the growth phase of the hair follicle cycle. 

What you should know about Bimatoprost for eyelash growth

Bimatoprost is a prostaglandin analogue and is a potent ocular hypotensive agent prescribed for the treatment of glaucoma. Patients observed increased eyelash growth in clinical trials that investigated bimatoprost ability to reduce intraocular pressure. In 2008, the pharmaceutical agent was approved by the FDA for the treatment of eyelash hypotrichosis. Currently, it is the only FDA approved formulation to stimulate eyelash length, thickness, and darkness. The exact mode of action by which Bimatoprost induces hair growth. Studies have shown a greater proportion of follicles in the growth phase and a simultaneous decrease of follicles in the telogen phase. Prolongation of the anagen phase is majorly responsible for eyelash enhancement. The active pharmaceutical agent also increases eyelash thickness and larger dermal papilla and hair bulb diameter in early anagen follicles. The darkening of eyelashes may result from increased melanogenesis. Pigmentation of eyelashes is directly associated with melanogenesis. The ophthalmic solution does not affect the number of follicles but increases the number of eyelashes in appearance because of a quicker transition to the growth phase. This way, users noted greater length, darkness, and fullness of eyelashes. The most well-known side effect of the eyelash formulation is iris pigmentation, which is rare. It is more common with chronic use and when prostaglandin analogue is directly administered into the eye.

Cosmeceuticals are the mainstay of eyelash enhancement. Careprost is generally safe and well-tolerated when applied to the eyelash base at the eyelid margin with maximum side effects including conjunctiva hyperaemia, lid irritation, and hyperpigmentation of the eyelid.  

Based on the general desire for long and luscious lashes as a sign of femininity in most cultures, Careprost and other Bimatoprost formulations, including Bimat, is expected to be popular alternatives for those seeking to enhance their lash appearance.