Get Longer, Stronger Eyelashes

Thick, dark eyelashes are thought to project beauty, youth and sex appeal. It’s obvious that women find this a basic in their beauty routine with the millions of tubes of mascara sold each year. Wouldn’t it be great to get thicker, longer eyelashes without having to cover them in layers of mascara? The newest craze on the market is products that claim to grow long-strong, thick lashes in about 4-6 weeks. Here’s a guide to the current products.
The entire range of lash promoting products can be separated into two categories. Those that require a prescription and those that don’t. The only product in the prescription category is Latisse, made by Allergan. The active ingredient in Latisse is called Bimatoprost. It's part of a class of drugs called prostaglandins which are contained in glaucoma drugs. Not all physicians are willing to prescribe this for eyelash or eyebrow growth and there are some risks. Of most concern is the possibility of darkening eye color and eyelid where it is applied like eye liner. However, Allergan’s package insert states that the eye color change has only been seen in patients treated for glaucoma which require a much higher percentages of Bimatropost. Other side effects include redness, mild stinging and itching when new hair grows. The cost for 100% increase in thickness and 25% longer-darker eyelashes is a visit to a willing doctor and $120 for a 30 day supply.
If you’re looking for something that does not require a doctors visit and is drug free, there are several options. These products state a 20-35% overall improvement in thickness, length and darkening. They can not claim to grow lashes since Allergan is the only company owning the rights to say that and are approved by the FDA. The cost ranges from about $60 a month to $120 a month. There’s no standard size so make sure to compare the amount of fluid and not just the price of the tube. I would also look for independent clinical trials on the claims. So what’s the ingredient that makes lashes grow if there’s no drug? Each product varies widely but here’s a sample of some ingredients: peptides, hyaluronic acid, biotin, hydrolized glucosaminoglycans and vitamins. Some of the brands I’m familiar with are: NeuLash, MariniLash, Revitalash and LiLash. NeuLash, which is sold in a .2 oz container lasting 4+ months, sent me a free trial tube which I’ve been using for 3 weeks. It’s too early to tell if it’s working but I’ll let you know what happens in another 3-4 weeks.
If you’ve had experience with a lash promoting product please let me know. I’d like to include your comments in a follow up article. Personally, I’d love to not worry about mascara, well maybe I’d still put a coat on for special occasions.