Latisse Eyelash Growth Product Review

If you have opened just about any magazine in recent months, chances are very good that you have seen one of the celebrity advertisements for the prescription-only lash growth product Latisse. The photos show long, lush eyelashes on Claire Danes, Brooke Shields, and other women, and the product's testimonials are impressive. But what is the real story on Latisse? Is it as effective and easy to use as the ads show it to be?

Latisse for Eyelash Growth: the Pros and Cons

Latisse is an FDA-approved eyelash growth product that stimulates the hair follicles to promote the growth of longer, fuller, and darker lashes within a four-month period. The manufacturer's clinical studies conducted among 278 subjects showed that 78 percent of people using Latisse experienced eyelash growth by week sixteen of use.

Latisse is quite effective at stimulating growth of eyelashes, but it's not without downsides. For one thing, the product is expensive -- a two-month supply of Latisse runs from $90 to $150, depending on the provider. Once a user starts with Latisse, they need to continue using it or the eyelash growth will fade and lashes will return to their previous state.

Latisse also has a number of reported side effects which include changes in the color of the iris, darkening of the eyelid skin, itching, redness, and irritation. Most side effects resolve when the use of Latisse is discontinued except for the change in iris color, which can be a permanent condition.

Latisse Reviews

For the most part, Latisse users are satisfied with the eyelash growth that results from the use of the product. The biggest complaints from customers are that Latisse takes weeks to produce results and it is available only through a doctor's prescription. In addition, a number of users suffered from one or more of the side effects. A significant number of users stopped using Latisse as a direct result of the product's side effects.

Latisse Side Effects

According to clinical trials conducted by the manufacturer of Latisse, four percent of the subjects in the trial suffered from the product's side effects. A review of independent product testimonials indicates that four percent may be a conservative number, and in reality, many more users experience one or more of the potential side effects.

The most common side effect that users report is itching, redness and irritation of the eyelids. In some cases, these symptoms decrease over the first few weeks of use, but some users continued to experience these issues continuously while using Latisse.

Other side effects from Latisse include darkening of the eyelid skin, known as hyper-pigmentation, which usually fades over time when Latisse usage is discontinued. A more permanent side effect from Latisse is a darkening of the iris, which is the colored part of the eye itself. This side effect is usually a permanent change.

No Prescription Latisse Alternatives

While Latisse does promote eyelash growth, the downsides of the high cost and the side effects scare many customers away from this product. Luckily, there are other lash growth products that are safe to use and don't require a prescription. MarveLash is a non-prescription product that safely results in longer, thicker lashes.