The FDA has given approval to a drug that is applied to the eyelids to increase eyelash length and general voluptuousness. Sometimes even we, the champions of medical technology, stand in wonderment at what new pharmaceuticals can do.
Scientific American reports:
The active ingredient in Latisse is bimatoprost, a compound derived from fatty acids that bind to receptors in the eyelashes that may be involved in the development and re-growth of hair follicles. Allergan has used bimatoprost since 2001 in Lumigan, an Rx eye drop that lowers eye pressure in people with glaucoma. (Glaucoma is a disease that may cause vision loss from damage to the optic nerve if too much pressure builds up in the eye.)
The company began studying the potential of using a lower dose of topical bimatoprost to stimulate eyelash growth after Lumigan users developed unusually lush lashes. It’s specifically being marketed as a once-a-day med to treat eyelash hypotrichosis, or lack of hair growth.
Full story @ Scientific American: Latisse: New eyelash-lengthening drug approved…
Press release: Allergan Announces U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Approval of LATISSE(TM) — First and Only Treatment Approved by the FDA for Hypotrichosis of Eyelashes …
Flashback: The Fight Is On for Drug That Lengthens Eyelashes