Beauty Blog » Do You Need a Prescription for Better Eyelashes?

Have you seen the commercial for the prescription eye lash thickener, Latisse? I’m sure you probably have. It stars Brooke Sheilds, who raves about the wonders of thicker eye lashes and then towards the end of the commercial they throw in the following information “May cause your eyelids to darken or turn yellow”. Whoa, WHAT? First of all, is the need for thicker eyelashes such a problem that we now need to go to the doctor for help? Shouldn’t science be working on a cure for cancer or AIDS before they worry about our wimpy eyelashes?

Interestingly enough, I recently read that the Food and Drug Administration has come down hard on Allergan, the manufacturer of Latisse, for misleading consumers about the risks associated with the product.

The agency said the Latisse website either doesn’t mention potential side effects including bacterial eye infection, allergic reactions, excess hair growth outside the intended treatment area, and permanent changes in iris and eyelid pigmentation, or presents them in small text that is much less prominent than statements about the product’s effectiveness.

The drug is approved to make eyelashes thicker, fuller and darker. The FDA approved it for that use last December. Latisse, or bimatoprost, was already on the market as a treatment for glaucoma.

Hair growth outside of the treatment area?! GROSS! I’ll keep my wimpy eyelashes, thank you very much…

Need a good mascara for your poor un-medicated eyelashes? I have been using this one for years:

Paula Dorf in Chocolate: $20.00

It’s waterproof and it thickens. It comes in several colors, like chocolate, which is great for me. I’m a redhead so my eyelashes are lighter and look a little strange with black mascara.

Shop for affordable mascara at Smarter.com.