Beauty

Longer Lashes? A Latisse Review

Latisse, and FDA approved lash growth serum is said to be changing the face of beauty. It's supposed to give you the long and lucious lashes of a movie starlet. We wanted to get a brutally honest look at the product so we asked our own Melanie Dunn to give it a try.

Elizabeth Taylor apparently was born with a ʻgene mutationʼ of two rows of eyelashes instead of one. Mutation? Really? That explains a lot. She scertainly didn't need Latisse but I do.

Latisse, a prescription-only eyelash enhancement serum is made by Allergen, the same company that brought Botox to foreheads across the globe. It's used to treat hypotrichosis, a technical term for having too few eyelashes. The company claims to more than double lash thickness in 16 weeks. Sign me up!

Iʼve tapped into the inner me with yoga and now itʼs time to be superficial and tap into the outer me with miracle liquids, needles, lotions and potions... no more sagging, wagging and lagging, bring it. So letʼs be clear here. Serum, I want Kardashian lashes: long, full, thick and luxurious. Bleach, youʼre up next: I want Ross Gellar teeth from that Friends episode, white, sparkly and glow in the dark. Got me?

ʻHi, yes, Iʼll take a couple bottles of magic lash growing serum with 100 dispensers, 20 syringes of bleach, a bite impression, some wipes, US Weekly and a magnifying mirror please, thank you.ʼ

Getting A Prescription

Getting a prescription for Latisse was a breeze... a year later! The first time I saw Brooke Shields on the commercial awkwardly dancing and batting her lashes at the nameless actor and camera, I immediately called my primary physician. I wanted Latisse. I had to have it! I left a message with my doctor. The nurse called me back and asked me why I was having difficulty sleeping. What? Iʼm sleeping fine what does this have to do with my long luxurious lashes Iʼm about to have? Does the serum put you to sleep, like a regrowth hibernation? The nurse says, well you called in a prescription for Lunesta and weʼre concerned about your sleeping. Lunesta? Ohh, thatʼs so silly of me, I meant Latisse. Knowing full well she was on hold with ʻactualʼ patients with ʻactualʼ problems, I could feel her eyes rolling through the phone. Is that the lash growth serum she asked annoyingly? Yes! Do you have it? Can I get it? Iʼm in your hood! Sorry, she said, youʼll have to contact your eye doctor or dermatologist. Being so new to the market, I was unsuccessful in convincing my eye doctor that Latisse was of dire need. Dozens and dozens of Sally Beauty Supply Arden wispy lash kits later, I am back in the game.

BEFORE LATISSE

I am an ʻexcellent candidateʼ for Latisse according to my dermatologist. I feel naked as he is saying this like I suffer from trichotillomannia. You too? I had no idea this existed either until I saw My Life on the D-List with Kathy Griffin, her assistant suffers from it... whereby they pull out their own lashes. With a prescription in hand I fax it along with an application for a free trial certificate. The promotion kit came in the mail a week later and I have that pretty little white box in my hand. I am beyond excited. Must wait 2 months for any growth. This will be difficult.

If my long black lashes are arriving within 8-12 weeks I thought it best to contrast them with a whiter smile. Iʼve had a teeth whitening kit for a while, given to me by my brother-in-law dentist, but have not been consistent. Nowʼs the time. My liquid intake is the following: red wine, coffee, green tea, soy milk, forced water and unforced martinis of any kind. This will not change as I am working on the outside, not the inside.

Months Later....

Five months later... lashes galore, but I want more. Teeth... letʼs just say Iʼll be zooming very soon.
The Latisse brochure will tell you that lashes will start growing, filling in and becoming thicker within 8-12 weeks. Not so for me. I started seeing real growth 14-18 weeks into treatment. In the beginning, fearful of ʻstaining my irisʼ (more so with blue and green eyes, mine are dark brown) I dabbed a drop on the applicator for each eye. Impatiently, my dabs got bigger and bigger and I was ultimately slathering it on my lashes. Soon, I could see this technique (all be it not recommended) was working. I also could not help but notice into my nightly ritual, my wimpy eyebrows (a product of over-plucking in the 90ʻs) so I start dabbing Latisse on them as well. Having not asked my dermatologist first I was relieved to read in Glamour magazine that Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas does it as well. If Fergie does it, then Iʼm doing it. Click here to see an instructional video on the correct way to apply Latisse.

AFTER LATISSE

Side Effects

The only irritating side effect Iʼve noticed with Latisse is the skin around the corners of your eyes becomes sensitive and a bit itchy. This goes away after you wash your face the morning after. The texture of the lashes is a notable difference. They are stronger and thicker but not as smooth and soft as my original lashes. When you go to wash your face or rub your eyes you can feel the difference. I was concerned in the beginning of accidentally getting Latisse in wrong places. The first month, I found myself having nightmares about chia pets and waking up feeling like I needed to be watered. Donʼt worry about this... it takes extensive and repetitive applications (I only missed 2 nights out of 5 months). A few oopsies is fine! I have not seen any difference in the color of my eyes but have definitely seen a darkening of my eyelids, kind of like a permanent black liner along my eyelid. Works for me. Also, Latisse can be expensive but there are promotions all over the internet. Check with your doctor too... I was able to get 2 free bottles for first time use and then another buy 1 get 1 free promotion. Iʼm in heaven with Latisse! My lashes are getting longer and curling in all different directions. Iʼve actually had to trim a few runaway lashes that were growing wildly in all different directions and getting ridiculously long. I never knew putting mascara on could be so much fun!

The teeth whitening wasnʼt as successful. You have to squeeze the bleach into soft plastic molds and wear them for up to 30 minutes. Impatience kicked in early and I started doubling the time finding my gums overly sensitive. Teeth were smooth and shiny but the bleach is very spotty on your teeth and the routine was getting old. If you are licensed to zoom... call me!

According to the FDA:

ADVERSE REACTIONS

Postmarketing Experience

• The following reactions have been identified during postmarketing use of Latisse  in clinical practice. Because they are reported voluntarily from a population of unknown size, estimates of frequency cannot be made. The reactions, which have been chosen for inclusion due to either their seriousness, frequency of reporting possible causal connection to Latisse, or a combination of these factors, include: burning sensation (eyelid), erythema periorbital, eye swelling, eyelid irritation, eyelid edema, eyelids pruritus, iris hyperpigmentation, lacrimation increased, madarosis and trichorrhexis (temporary loss of a few lashes to loss of sections of eyelashes, and temporary eyelash breakage, respectively), periorbital and lid changes associated with a deepening of the eyelid sulcus, rash (including macular, erythematous, and pruritic limited to the eyelids and periorbital region), skin discoloration (periorbital), and vision blurred.