Allergan created a medication that will grow your eyelashes!  Do we want our eyelashes to grow long enough to become the bald man’s answer to a comb-over?

The FDA has approved Latisse, the first drug to promote eyelash growth, according to Allergan, the company that makes Latisse. Latisse, which will be available by prescription starting in the first quarter of 2009, contains the active ingredient of the glaucoma drug Lumigan, which is also made by Allergan.

Eyelash growth is a known side effect of Lumigan. But Lumigan and Latisse are used differently. Lumigan is an eyedrop, and Latisse gets dabbed along the lash line on the upper eyelids to promote longer, thicker, darker lashes. Allergan states that “Latisse users can expect to experience longer, fuller, and darker eyelashes in as little as eight weeks, with full results in 16 weeks.” If Latisse is stopped, eyelashes will gradually return to their previous appearance as new eyelashes grow in.

It’s a strange thing how medicine for one serious use grows into a cosmetic one.

Botox is the strongest example of a killer becoming a beautifier — though the current research seems to indicate Botox may be directly poisoning your brain.

Let’s hope Latisse doesn’t prove to cause blindness.

10 Comments

  2. I would sooner have no lashes than have to take drugs to grow new ones. I was thinking this morning as I thought I saw the face of Heath Ledger in two people how his death gave me new reason to detest drugs of all sorts. Yuck. Eyelashes. Really? People are that needy? I feel sad for them.

  3. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    Hah, Nicola! It’s almost as bad as the “eye glitter” from a few years bad that was surgically implanted in the whites of your eyes.

  4. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    There are people that are crazy for long lashes, Gordon! Some people are lucky to have two hairs growing out of a single eyelash root hole, so they naturally have thicker, more beautiful lashes, and they end up being hated by the “one lashes” — no kidding!

  5. A little education is in order here…I agree that being a slave to ‘looks’ is somewhat pathetic, but there is a market for this. In NYC there are ‘eyelash extension’ shops that for $100 will trim your current eyelashes, inidividually apply single extension strands (like the sheath of a sword)onto the remaining trimmed eyelashes. It takes upkeep every 2-3 weeks for approximately $50. They look amazing, but, of course it is a bit expensive and time consuming. If the LATISSE works, lasts, is cost-effective and is easy to use, if it is marketed appropriately, it will sell imho. contact me directly formore information. -will

  6. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    Will —
    Why are long eyelashes so important? Is vanity the only reason for the false enhancements?
    What sort of extra information are you able to offer and do you have a vested interest in eyelashes?

  7. Hello,
    You know the first thing that comes to everyone I see here is vanity. How about people who lose their lashes to cancer from radiation and also alopecchia. These are things that at least they can turn to. Not having eyelashes in many cases to these people are a very big let down emotionally and yes for vanity. Would you want to be one of those people? We take them for granted our lashes. Would you like going out in the sun and your eyes burning because you have no lashes? I dont think so. So stop thinking everything is for vanity and think of it helping people!

  8. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    Your claim is an interesting except Latisse isn’t being marketed that way — it is being marketed to regular women with eyelashes and trying to shame those women into having even longer lashes.
    Brooke Shields is the spokesmodel for the product:
    http://www.latisse.com/BrookeGallery.aspx?state=31
    I’d love to see them spend millions of dollars using an eyelashless model as you suggest is the intended market for the product.

  10. David Boles – New York City – David Boles was born in Nebraska and holds an MFA from the Oscar Hammerstein II Center for Theatre Studies at Columbia University in the City of New York. He is an author, dramatist, editor, publisher, and teacher who writes across the live stage, print, radio, television, film, and the web. With more than 50 books in print, David continues to write 2MM words a year and has authored over 25K articles. He is a member of the Dramatists Guild, the Authors Guild, and PEN America, and founded The United Stage advocacy platform on the principle that playwrights have a duty to direct their own work. Read the Prairie Voice Archive at Boles.com | Buy his books at David Boles Books Writing & Publishing at BolesBooks.com | Study with Script Professor at ScriptProfessor.com | Touch American Sign Language mastery at Hardcore ASL at HardcoreASL.com | Explore the Human Meme podcast at HumanMeme.com | Train with Boles Bells at BolesBells.com.
    David W. Boles says:

    I agree with you and your original point was hard hitting and important.

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