Preying upon women’s vanity, Allergan has seen its sales skyrocket to $47.7 million since introducing Latisse as an option to grow longer eyelashes. Using actress and model Brooke Shields as a spokesperson, Allergan expects that sales will continue to increase to $70 million by the end of this year. The success of Latisse, however, concerns some ophthalmologists who argue that the medication can cause eye irritation, redness, infection, itchiness, and darkening of the skin around the eye. Most importantly, eye doctors argue that the desire for pretty eyelashes is taking precedence over healthy eyes.
In fact, Latisse isn’t the original name of the drug, nor was growing longer eyelashes its primary aim. Instead, Latisse was originally marketed under the name Lumigan and was prescribed to treat glaucoma. Longer eyelashes were simply a side effect of the medication that translated into larger profits for Allergan, the maker of the product.
As increasing numbers of dermatologists, plastic surgeons and medical-spa physicians prescribe the drug, eye doctors are concerned that many Latisse users haven’t undergone a full eye exam. Moreover, the original version, Lumigan, wasn’t even approved for treating glaucoma until 2001. What specifically concerns eye doctors is that there is very little long-term data available on the effects of Latisse on the health of the eyes.
