Your eyebrows have a significant role in how you seem, changing how your face is proportioned and improving your capacity to interact with others.
There aren’t many choices to assist you to regrow hair if you have sparse eyebrows or are experiencing eyebrow hair loss.
Latisse, or 0.03% bimatoprost ophthalmic solution, is a therapy that is only available with a prescription.
Latisse has not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use on the eyebrows, however, there is research that supports this application.
Read on to learn more about this therapy in the paragraphs that follow to see whether it can benefit you.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
✅ Latisse may be an option for addressing eyebrow hair loss, despite its high cost.
✅ In order to take Latisse for brow growth off-label, you’ll need to ask your doctor because it is only available with a prescription.
✅ Latisse eyebrow growth use hasn’t been associated with any severe negative effects, but it might not be a suitable fit for you.
✅ For instance, Latisse might make your lighter-colored brows darker.
Latisse, what is it?
Bimatoprost is the main ingredient of Latisse (bimatoprost), a prescription eye drop used to treat glaucoma. Patients who took the eye drop also reported growing eyelashes, according to the researchers.
As a result, bimatoprost was investigated as a potential treatment for eyelash growth by scientists and the firm that makes eye drops. In 2008, the FDA authorized Latisse for use on eyelashes.
Latisse is now a prescription-only eyelash growth medication. It comes in a tiny vial that resembles a dropper for eye drops. To encourage eyelash growth, you spread Latisse into the upper eyelid every day by adding the eye drop solution to a specific brush.
There is additional research on the efficacy and safety of Latisse as an eyelash therapy, however, the FDA has only currently approved it for the treatment of eyelash growth.
Because getting FDA clearance for Latisse for brows can be an expensive and drawn-out process, the makers may decide against pursuing it.
Nevertheless, doctors occasionally recommend Latisse for brow development. Because you’re utilizing a product in a manner that isn’t consistent with how the FDA has approved it, this is referred to as “off-label” use.
Consult your doctor to be sure Latisse can be used safely if you’re thinking about using it off-label to grow your brow hair.
Is Latisse effective?
Although doctors don’t fully understand how Latisse functions, they do have some theories. One is that the medicine encourages hair follicles in the resting phase to transition to the development phase and aids in keeping more hair follicles in the growth phase.
Despite the FDA’s denial, there have been some clinical studies about the effectiveness and safety of Latisse when used on the eyebrows. They consist of the following:
- A 2016 study examined 357 men and women with brow hair loss who used either Latisse or a placebo once or twice daily for 7 months. The results were published in the journal Dermatologic Surgery. At the conclusion of the study, there were few differences between the Latisse-using groups in terms of eyebrow growth. After the second month of application, the majority of subjects claimed to have seen a difference compared to the placebo.
- In a tiny 2014 study, eyebrow growth in 10 female Latisse users was examined, and the results were reported in the Dermatology Online Journal. For six weeks, each participant used Latisse on one brow at night. The researchers discovered that all study participants had grown new eyebrow hair. No negative effects were reported by participants.
- Six research were examined in a review of the literature on Latisse for eyebrows that was published in the journal Drug Design, Development, and Therapy. Latisse for eyebrow use, according to the authors, is a “safe, effective, and well-tolerated choice” for treating eyebrow hair loss.
Even though these studies support Latisse and eyebrow hair growth, there are still a lot of variables that can affect how well it works. These include how and how frequently you use it and whether your eyebrow hair loss has underlying causes.
Is it safe to use Latisse?
The darkening of the hair is one of the main Latisse side effects that are well-known. This is less of an issue with eyelashes because many people use mascara to make their lashes appear darker.
On the other hand, if you have lighter brows, Latisse could make them appear much darker. The following side effects were most frequently observed during the Dermatologic Surgery study:
- Infection of the upper respiratory tract
- Itching skin
- Running nose
- sinusitis
It is unknown if any particular instances of these symptoms were connected to using Latisse or not.
The most frequent negative effects of Latisse, which are particular to eyelashes, are listed in the product’s package insert:
- Itching eyes
- Darkening of skin
- eyes that are red or have visible blood vessels
According to Latisse’s producers, 3–4% of users have these side effects.
You may find Latisse expensive, but perhaps a successful treatment for brow growth. For effects to last, you must consistently apply Latisse on your brows.
Is there anything else that can promote brow growth?
Finding a solution to aid in hair growth might be challenging for people who experience brow hair loss. The FDA has not given its approval for eyebrow use for topical treatments for hair loss used on the scalp (such as minoxidil). To address brow hair loss, some people may use these medications off-label, though.
One thing to think about is discussing your brow hair loss with your doctor. Many underlying diseases can result in eyebrow hair loss (which doctors call hypotrichosis). These conditions include, for example:
- autoimmune conditions, including alopecia areata
- endocrine conditions like hypo- or hyperthyroidism
- Previous injuries or damage to the brows (such as from a cut, over-plucking, or chemical burns from dyeing)
- dietary deficiencies, such as a lack of biotin, iron, or zinc
Sometimes, one of these ailments may be found to be the root of eyebrow hair loss by a physician. You may see more brow hair grow if the underlying reason is treated.
Additionally, there are over-the-counter (OTC) items that claim to promote brow hair growth. These are typically serums with ingredients to strengthen or nourish the current eyebrow hair.
The following ingredients are found in eyebrow serums:
- biotin
- peptides
- oils
- Fatty acids
These solutions attempt to maintain the health of both the existing and the new growth of eyebrow hair. They don’t always impact the growth phase, though, as Latisse does.