RX For Longer Lashes

Flip through any fashion magazine and you'll see models donning long, dark, full eye lashes. So, how can ordinary women get the same glamorous look?

Well, there are always reusable false eyelashes, layers of thick mascara or a trip to the salon for individual lash extensions. But, these are temporary solutions, which may come with some risk.

With the application of false eyelashes, patients often come in to my practice with complications. They may have an allergic reaction to the glue, an eye infection due to reusing strips of false lashes, or skin allergies from the false lashes, which can collect and accumulate dust and germs.

At the other extreme, we also help patients who come in because they have cut their own lashes in an effort make the false lashes look better. Patients ask us if natural lashes grow back after they've been plucked or cut. Sometimes they do - and sometimes they don't.

The good news is -- these 'long lash' problems could become a thing of the past with the help of a new treatment. In December 2008, Allergan, Inc., the company behind Botox, announced FDA approval for LATISSEaC/, a new treatment for growing longer lashes. Today, with help from a doctor with prescribing rights, consumers may be able to grow long, striking lashes.

Latisse is a product with the same formula as a solution used to treat glaucoma patients. A side effect of the treatment is that it tends to make the lashes longer and fuller. Some experts are already worried about the side effects of Latisse which may include_ red, itchy eyes and changes in eye pigmentation (especially on lighter eyes).

However with that said, many women are overjoyed by its arrival and hope to lose dependency on other temporary eyelash solutions.

So far, my patients are seeing very positive results from the use of this new product.

Dr. Neil Sadick is one of the most renowned dermatologists and researchers whose multiple discoveries have strongly influenced and transformed the future of dermatology. He is a Professor of Dermatology at Weill Cornell Medical College and President of the Cosmetic Surgery Foundation. Dr. Sadick is author, or co-author, of more than 500 articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has contributed more than 75 chapters of medical books. Read more at

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