Known in the US as Latisse and in the UK as Lumigan, bimatoprost is a prescription only eye drop. It has been clinically tested over 13 years and has been shown to increase the length and thickness of your eyelashes. It is also an excellent treatment for glaucoma and can be used safely whilst breastfeeding.
It reduces the pressure in your eye by mimicking the action of a naturally occurring body chemical called prostaglandin. Prostaglandins are a group of body chemicals that are found in many places in the body and in the eye. This particular type of prostaglandin increases the drainage of aqueous humour out of your eyeball which decreases pressure in your eye, and is therefore useful for treating glaucoma.
Bimatoprost is also useful for promoting the growth of eyelashes and eyebrows by increasing the level of a natural substance in your eyes called cyclic AMP. Cyclic AMP is involved in a number of important processes within the eye including cellular reproduction and protein synthesis, which makes it very effective at stimulating eyelash and eyebrow growth. The effects of this medication can be seen after just a few days and may take up to 16 weeks to see the full results.
It takes a little longer than other eyelash growth products to work, but it is very safe and effective. It is a very popular product and you will find a lot of information about it online and in magazines. You should use it regularly in order to get the best results.
Like any medicine, it is possible that bimatoprost can cause side effects. Some of the most common are irritation of your eyes or a watery discharge from your eyelids. This should pass soon after the drops are applied and if it continues, talk to your doctor.
A small percentage of patients in the idiopathic hypotrichosis subpopulation and the chemotherapy-induced hypotrichosis subpopulation experienced at least a two-grade improvement in GEA score compared to vehicle at month 4. Similarly, the eyelash regrowth rate was greater for the bimatoprost-treated versus the control groups (Table 2).
The most common AEs were conjunctival hyperaemia (12*1%), eyelid pruritus (6*1%), eyelid margin crusting (5*1%) and dry eyes (2*1%). All AEs reported with bimatoprost and the corresponding AEs with vehicle resolved without sequelae.
It is safe to use during pregnancy and breast feeding as very few of the active ingredients reach the bloodstream, since they are absorbed through the eyelid skin. However, it is essential to tell your midwife or health visitor if you are pregnant and to discuss this with your doctor before you start using the drops. It is not known whether this drug passes into breast milk but it is likely that very small amounts will. bimatoprost uk