Rx for longer lashes

Chances are you haven't heard of hypotrichosis of eyelashes. You may even have it and not know it: It's the medical term for "insufficient" eyelashes, in other words, short, sparse or thin eyelashes. And there's now a prescription to treat it.

The Food and Drug Administration approved a cosmetic treatment that makes eyelashes grow longer, thicker and darker last December. The treatment's active ingredient, bimatoprost, was originally approved as a drug to lower intraocular pressure in people with a type of glaucoma or hypertension within the eye. The effects of bimatoprost on eyelashes was first observed when studying those taking it for its original use.

Allergan Inc., the drug manufacturer, is marketing bimatoprost for growing eyelashes under the brand name Latisse. Find out more about Latisse on our website.