Lashes of the Stars: Longer eyelashes now available by prescription

Allergan, Inc. recently hosted a star-studded event in Hollywood to launch Latisse Wishes, a charitable public awareness campaign designed to help make wishes come true. Actress Brooke Shields and beauty expert to the stars Anastasia Soare are leading a campaign to generate $1 million to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to granting the wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses.

In addition to Shields and Soare, other stars including Debra Messing, Angie Harmon, Marisa Tomei, Mandy Moore, Debi Mazar, Jewel, Jennifer Coolidge, and Perrey Reeves attended the red-carpet kick-off event for the Latisse Wishes campaign. Over the next several months, campaign ambassadors Shields and Soare (who both use Latisse on their eyelashes) will travel to cities across the country hosting informational events to further support the campaign.

The Latisse Wishes campaign was borne out of the tradition of blowing on an eyelash to make a wish come true and leverages the excitement surrounding Latisse, the first and only science-based prescription treatment for making eyelashes longer, fuller, and darker.

“It works great,” says Dr. Shonda Achord of Achord Eye Clinic in Baton Rouge (12726 Perkins Road; 225/767-3937). “It extends the growth cycle, and increases the amount of lashes. It is a form of a glaucoma drop. All our glaucoma patients were coming in with long, beautiful eyelashes. We originally put it in their eyes to lower the pressure,” she says. “Latisse is temporary. If you stop using it, it goes away. It is basically for the patient who has thin, missing lashes. If you think you are a candidate, come in for a thorough eye examination. It is available at the pharmacy, with a prescription.”

The active ingredient in Latisse was first approved in 2001 as a medical product to lower intraocular pressure in people with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Patients treated with Latisse (bimatroprost) for this specific eye condition experienced eyelash growth as a side effect.

In December 2008, Allergan, Inc. announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration had approved Latisse as a novel treatment for hypotrichosis of the eyelashes (another name for having inadequate or not enough eyelashes). Latisse is the first and only science-based treatment approved by the FDA to enhance eyelash prominence as measured by increases in length, thickness and darkness of eyelashes.

It is now possible for patients to get a prescription through a doctor for Latisse, a once-daily prescription treatment applied to the base of the upper eyelashes with a sterile, single-use-per-eye disposable applicator. Latisse users can expect to experience longer, fuller, and darker eyelashes in as little as eight weeks, with full results in 16 weeks. To maintain effect, continued treatment with Latisse is required; if it is discontinued, eyelashes will gradually return to where they were prior to treatment over a period of weeks and months.

“I am delighted to be a part of Latisse Wishes,” says Sheilds. The famous actress with gorgeous eyelashes uses the product and raves about it. “I want to not only help educate women on an eyelash growth product that is the first to be scientifically proven, but also to support a worthy organization such as the Make-A-Wish Foundation. I remember being a child and blowing on an eyelash hoping my wish would come true, and as a mother I’ve passed this tradition on to my children. We can keep the tradition alive and fulfill the hopes of so many more children around the country through Latisse and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.”

Between now and December 2009, Allergan will donate $5 for each new visitor who registers online, up to an additional $500,000. The Latisse Wishes campaign launched with an initial donation of $500,000 from Allergan to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Consumers are encouraged to help double this amount to $1 million by registering their support at www.LATISSE.com to help grant the wishes of children in their local communities.

“In my business I constantly work to help make women’s beauty wishes come true and now we can help children’s wishes come true through the Latisse Wishes campaign,” says Soare. “I am excited to bring this worthy campaign to cities across the country.” ✦

Achord Eye Clinic
Dr. Shonda Achord
12726 Perkins Road
Baton Rouge, LA
(225) 767-3937