Yeah, Your Eyes Are Discolored And Red, But Your Lashes Look Great!
Lash-lengthening drug Latisse can make your eyelashes longer — but it can have some pretty hardcore side effects for a cosmetic. The FDA has issued a warning letter to the manufacturer (PDF) of the glaucoma-drug-turned-cosmetic-product, saying that many claims on its website are misleading and, in fact, unlawful.
CR Health breaks it down for us:
Latisse's Website says:
In the "Is Latisse safe?" section of the drug's website: "The FDA reviewed clinical study results to verify the identity, potency, purity and stability of the ingredients, and demonstrated that the product is safe and effective for its intended use if used as prescribed."The FDA says:
This description is misleading and it fails to mention that Latisse may have side effects, or mention any of those side effects. It also implies, according to the FDA, that Latisse is "especially safe because the FDA has verified the identity, potency, purity, and stability of the ingredients."Latisse's Website says:
The website also answers the question, "Why do the directions say to only apply Latisse solution to the base of the upper eyelashes?" by saying: "A clinical trial of Latisse was conducted on patients who applied the product to the base of their upper lashes only. Applied nightly, the transfer of Latisse solution from the upper to lower eyelid may occur naturally because the eyelids are closed and the eyelashes touch each other."The FDA says:
The answer fails to warn users of the real reason why Latisse should not be applied to the lower eyelid: If Latisse comes in continued contact with skin outside the treatment area, it could lead to excess, unwanted hair growth.Latisse's Website says:
The Latisse website claimed that "increased brown iris pigmentation has occurred when similar medications were instilled directly into the eye to treat elevated intraocular pressure/glaucoma."
The FDA says:
In fact, the "similar" medication was actually the same medication. Both Latisse and Lumigan, a glaucoma drug also from Allergan, are actually bimatoprost ophthalmic solution. Though Latisse is applied differently, brown iris pigmentation has been reported from use of the drug. The FDA says, "by omitting this material information and suggesting this side effect has only occurred with ‘similar' medications, this claim minimizes the risk of increased iris pigmentation."Latisse's website says:
The site repeatedly mentions that the eye redness and itching that can accompany the use of Latisse are "not allergic reactions."The FDA says:
That's misleading. In fact, allergic conjunctivitis is an adverse reaction reported with the use of the active ingredient, bimatoprost ophthalmic solution. Further, these symptoms are usually resolved only after discontinuing treatment with the drug. The FDA was particularly concerned about these claims, according to the letter, "because patients are highly unlikely to be able to differentiate between eye redness associated with conjunctival hyperemia, allergic reaction, or inflammation without the advice of a healthcare provider."
Yeah, but you look awesome.
FDA warns maker of Latisse about misleading claims [Consumer Reports Health]
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Comments:
My fiance uses Lumigan because of glaucoma & I can tell you I think it's ridiculous to try and use it for cosmetic reasons. He looks like he's high 24/7 because of the redness,has a brown spot in his blue eyes and has the longest eyelashes I've ever seen on a man. Oh and they itch alot.
Who is so vain that they look in the mirror says to themself, "Self, despite the botox, the facelifts, the nose job, and the war paint I slather on every day: I NEED LONGER FUCKING EYELASHES."
Maybe it's just me, but I've never looked at someone and thought, "OMG! Their eyelashes are so short and un-luscious! Oh, heavens, I can't even look at this person and their gross non-eyelashes. Ew!"
I mean, I can understand maybe longer lashes being somewhat more attractive than shorter ones, but it's not like having shorter lashes makes one unattractive. Why do people want to take drugs and have crazy reactions just to achieve the same effect that can be gotten from a $5 tube of mascara?
Sounds almost like a country song - "Don't it make my blue eyes brown?"
I'm on glaucoma drops, and I effing hate them. I had fantastic hazel eyes once.
Brown eyes suck. Grrr....
@Clobberella:
Mascara just gives the illusion. Latisse actually makes the lashes longer. Apparently it's a pretty dramatic difference.
Anyway, there are plenty of people that look in the mirror and see something totally different than what others see when they look at that person.
@Clobberella: That might have something to do with your being all conscious about having only one eye.
As someone who has very short and practically invisible eyelashes, it's tempting to try something permanent. Mascara does NOTHING for me. I've had high-end eyelash extensions installed before. It looked great, but required a lot of maintenance.
I can sympathize with the ones who've tried this. But I like my eyes (even if I'm nearly blind) very much.
I've heard about this before. Wasn't the lash lengthening an accidental finding and the glaucoma medicine was the first reason?
Wait a minute, they have a product that produces excess unwanted hair on skin that accidentally gets covered in the stuff and they are only suggesting it is good for eyelashes?
They aren't marketing it to old bad men?
@MostlyHarmless: I guess you're right. I do tire of all of these people with their two eyes and their depth perception who insist that those things are not enough, now they have to have long eyelashes too. If only they knew what they had to begin with!
The first time I saw the commercial with Brooke Shields advertising this stuff, I knew at that moment this stuff was bad news.
I'm with most of you who thought, "Are short eyelashes so utterly tragic that someone would be willing to use this at risk of the side effects? Changing eye color?! Gaa."
@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!): I had to wear false eyelashes for a play last winter, and when that scene was over (I was a different character in the second act), I was desperate to get them off. There's no work involved, but they're horribly uncomfortable.
@lilyHaze: Yes. Viagra and Botox were both developed for treatment of more serious illnesses and became more used for something that was essentially a side effect, too.
@reuvenb:
As a niche, I understand it. I've read some stories of cancer patients who lost all their hair who've used Latisse to great effect. Apparently eyelashes are really important to some people. (hence, the mascara industry).
I gotta say, as a person who's eyes are about as dark as brown can get, I'd love to see if I could get them any darker with Latisse.
Always wanted that Star Trek Betazed look.
"Warning: Do not take if you are a character in Minority Report!"
seems reasonable, who cares about their eyes anyway?
I realize this is going to sound obsurd, but I'm going to say it anyway.
The idea of this annoys me beyond, "why would you risk it?" It takes me to a place where I think: well great; long, thick eyelases is one of the few things that I consider to be acceptional about my looks and now just anybody can grow them if they pay for this stuff!
I feel lighter now that I've admitted it in public. Please be gentile with the flames.
@Kimaroo - 20% More Kitty Added!:
Well that's with anything... if you have naturally smooth skin, there are products for the lizard looking people.
Women can achieve the same look of those who are well endowed by getting a (good) breast augmentation.
It's funny that people have made comments about eyelashes not being important. IMO, they are. I am obsessed with eye makeup, and if I put on everything else (eyeliner, eyeshadow, etc) and leave out the mascara, I personally think I look weird, and tired. Put on my mascara and it finishes it off. However, I would never start using a medicine to save myself 5 minutes of putting on mascara. While it's not "Natural", bear in mind that the most popular color of mascara is black, and not everyone has this naturally.
When I saw this commercial about a month ago, I thought it was a joke and I would never apply random medicine to my eyes.
Side note - Maybelline Colossal Volume, yellow tube... amazing.
You have to be a real idiot to take a drug to make your eyelashes longer.
@Kimaroo - 20% More Kitty Added!: I would worry about your English first and your eyelashes second.
"Eyelashes"
"Exceptional"
When I saw Brooke Shields doing ads for this, I shook my head. Who would take a drug for longer eyelashes?
This is what happened when Direct to Consumer advertising of drugs gets out of control. Someone needs to put an end to all of this pronto!
@nstonep: I knew the spelling police would come for me eventually. I've never been good at spelling and never claim to be. The iPod Touch doesn't have spell check. And it was very late at night.
Seriously...who needs a product for longer lashes? Especially one with so many ??'s on it's safety....bet this one gets pulled soon.... Brooke Shields is endorsing this and supposedly a user of the product by the commercials claim
@HogwartsAlum: Haha, true! All we need now is a product to prevent cat hair growth under laptop keys.
I remember the first time I saw commercials for this, I thought it was ridiculous that they introduced the medical condition "Hypotrichosis" like it's something that occurs in 50% or more women when its actually something that occurs most commonly in those that have Hallermann-Streiff syndrome...a condition that has affected "FEWER THAN 200 PEOPLE WORLDWIDE."
@FuturShoc: If you already have brown eyes, it's not much of a risk. And I have heard many famous makeup artists say, if you can only have one makeup product, take mascara. I personally have blue eyes, and my eyelashes are fine (with a little mascara), so I would never mess with this. But it's really no worse than botox, or many other "cosmetic" procedures (like "permanent makeup"), and probably gives great results to people who really need it.
For women in menopause, either naturally occurring or as the result of a hysterectomy, eyelash enhancement is not optional based on vanity. Eyelash loss is common among these women, and once you start losing eyelashes, you expose your eyes to allergens, dust, etc. This is of course why we have them in the first place.
So while Latisse appears to be teh suxxors, don't knock the ladies who need such treatment. Or I will post another outraged post. I mean it!
I have high intraocular pressure and have been been using Xalantan for a few years. When I first saw the ads for this, I knew it was only a matter of time before trouble ensued. The side effects of these types of drops are awful. They turn your eyes red and thin the skin around your eyes, making you look stoned all the time. It's an annoying price to pay to prevent losing eyesight, but an really stupid way to get thicker lashes.
I, too, have been waiting for the fallout from the use of this drug. It just seems dangerous to tamper with something that's meant to be a treatment for glaucoma. I can only imagine the effects of lowering somebody's "normal" IOP.
However, that's a side-effect.
However, this seems to be in accord for pharmaceutical companies to develop a drug for one condition, realise it has another pharmacological / cosmetic application, and push it aggressively for other conditions. While "smart" to attempt in one sense, I doubt the FDA is as careful reviewing the drug the second time around, since it's already been deemed "safe and effective" for one indication.
@Kimaroo - 20% More Kitty Added!: OK, I'll bite. Though the marketing has not directly targeted Asians, this product has already generated tremendous interest in the C/J/K/SEA women I know (I live in Honolulu).
They already have brown eyes, their cultures deify long lashes - all the moreso for being a "Western" look - and this is something which the population in general seriously lacks (the hairs are short, thin, and weak).
I was surprised at how many girls here have breast implants and avoid the sun to become more 'white', but such is fashion. As a dude I can't hope to understand it.
@reuvenb: Yes. Me. :D My eyes are already brown, though. Hehehe... I am shocked that it worked. I've been on it for 4 weeks now and I can definitely see a difference. Thicker, longer eyelashes. I imagine it will be even longer by week 16.
I was the family guinea pig. My sisters will follow suit when I visit.
I'm torn. Part of me feels like anyone who is applying medication to their eyelashes for the sake of vanity is already pretty disconnected from reality and probably doesn't care about getting glaucoma LATER.
But the other part of me is pretty sure that someone who is "unsatisfied by their lashes" enough to seek medical treatment will be super unsatisfied when they develop brown splotches on their pretty eyeballs.
Who honestly wants to change their eye color just for longer eyelashes? Are there really people out there willing to use this stuff?