I miss my eyelashes -- Latisse anyone?

Chemo, I have thought of it. I did not have chemo but had lumpectomy and rads. Now I know rads to the breast should have no effect on my eyelashes but on my one eye on the inner corner, the lashes have fallen out for the 4th time last week. This has been going on since my treatments, not sure if it is a result of the anesthesiologist taping my eyes closed during surgery and weakening the eyelashes at that time or if it something else that has just coincided with my tx's. So I have been thinking about asking my dr if I could try it but that is as far as I have gone. Glad to hear someone has tried and is having success. Maybe now I will try it so thank you for starting this thread.

Edited to add, I don't think you are vain, eyelashes actually have a great purpose and it feels weird to not have them, at least to only have half an eye with eyelashes feels very weird. 

Penny 

How often does it change one's eye color?  My eyes are blue-grey-green and I would prefer to keep them that way.  I am afraid to use it on my lashes but would be interested in having eyebrows again.  Mine have not been normal since they fell out during chemo. My post-chemo eyelashes curved the wrong direction and grew towards my eyes so many of them had to be (at least that was what I was told at the time) removed by electrolysis.  I fear that Latisse would grow eyelashes that would head towards my eyeball again! 

I have been using Latisse (I used Revitalash at first and switched) since it was announced.  And my clients use it. I have not had a single reaction to it, although I had several people who thought Revitalash burned their eyes.  I never had anyone's eyes turn darker, although I'm told IF it constantly gets in your eye (it shouldn't), that could happen. 

All in all I've been using the products for 2-3 years with no side effects. I stopped using it during chemo, I didn't see the point, but I started again after the rads were over (in July).  My lashes are coning in just fine. I would highly recommend the Latisse, since it is the only one approved by the FDA.   

and if you have blue eyes?

My blue eyed clients are using it without incident..But they are careful not to get the product into their eyes..which you are not supposed to do anyway.     The does os lumigan- put into the eye for glaucoma, is over 200 times stronger than the dose of lumigan in the product,  You would have to use the produc IN THE EYE for 200 days to get the equivalent of one daily dose of the parent product.  I'm not saying that the color shange is impossible, just unlikely.  I'm sure there are some who won't follow directions, put on too much and get it in their eyes..And if their eyes are blue or hazel, they could get some brown spots in the eye color.  

Either my clients are compliant or something, because as I've said I don't see these side effects at all.  I have about 150 clients using the products..You would think we would know if they had a bad reaction.  JUDY

Oh, Chemo ...Totally not vain (although I was thinking the same thing about myself when I started using Latisse 9 months ago!).....Yes, it works!  I obsessively researched everything I could find out about it when it first came out. I mean I read EVERYTHING, including the lengthy reports submitted to the FDA for approval (which included before and after photos and more data than you'd ever want to read.)

What I learned is that Latisse is just a repackaged Lumigan (the glaucoma drug). With a higher price for cosmetic use! It is the exact same formulation as Lumigan. The only reason it appears to be a lesser strength drug is that it's brushed onto the eyelid instead of being dropped into the eye so concentration is lower.

By googling, I found women who had been buying Lumigan from two out of country sources without prescription and a fraction of the cost. The sites were alldaychemist.com and inhousepharmacy.com

I have ordered from both with no problem. I did first get an appt. with an eye doctor to make sure my eyes were ok. And told him I was thinking about using it.

My eyelashes never really came back in after chemo...no eyebrows either. Lashes really came in with Lumigan, but I didn't have any luck with my brows. (I'm five years out, so doesn't look like I'm gonna get much growth there. Maybe I'll try Rogaine again.

The only side effects I have are occasionally if I put it on at night, my eyes may get a little dry. And recently I noticed that my eyelid seemed to be a little discolored, so I've cut back for a few days and it seems to be back to normal. My eyes are green, and no change to iris color.

Anyway, glad you posted. I have not wanted to appear to be vain either, but this really made me feel a lot better starting to look more like I used to. It works!

Eyelashes are not like other hair/body hair. They grow VERY slowly. It takes at least 6 months for them to grow to an appreciable length.

Personally, as a cancer survivor, I'm not interested in taking ANYTHING that makes ANY part of my body grow faster. Please. Particularly for a cosmetic issue.

I used to have the most gorgeous long Bambi eyelashes. They still aren't back to their original length, but I too am just trying to be patient. They've been growing about 18 months.

LJ, I know what you mean, and I was really concerned about using it and asked myself if I was being too vain. I read everything I could find first, including submission to the FDA on safety, history of the drugs, etc. (See link at end.) And I definitely didn't want to spend the $$ that they were asking for Latisse. Ouch!

Of course Allergan is promoting the product, but since Lumigan had years of safety in use on glaucoma patients, I decided it was worth a try for me. Since I'm five years out from chemo plus on Arimidex and essentially no estrogen to support hair growth, my hair that did return after chemo was greatly thinned....and no eyelashes and no eyebrows at all. Of course my chin hair had no problem coming in though! What's up with that!

Chemo - Maybe your lashes are normally growing back and you can discontinue it now. I found at 4 weeks of Latisse, I was noticing growth. By week 16, they were "normal" length lashes. For me that was such a huge improvement. I was tired of looking sick and older due to no lashes. Not saying it's for everyone. From what I read, how it works is that your hair goes through different cycles of growth and dormancy. Latisse/Lumigan reduces the dormant cycle, and increases the growth cycle. Of course as LJ points out, after BC, we are all worried about anything that might cause a problem. After reading the reports, I decided the risk seemed small enough to take for me.

As for the brushes, Chemo, yes, they jack up the price due to the brushes...and from what I read, most people dislike the brushes that come with Latisse. Based on advice I read from others who were using it, I purchased a couple of thin eyeliner type brushes...I put one drop of Lumigan in the cap of the bottle, dip the brush in and can do both eyelids with only one drop. And it costs only a few dollars a month to buy the Lumigan online. I sanitize the brushes since I am not using the disposable ones.

The FDA did recommend that Allergan conduct a clinical trial specifically for chemo patients. I would gladly have participated!  I was very nervous at first, but it has made a big difference for me and no problems. From a cosmetic standpoint, I don't think I am particularly vain. In fact most days I wear no makeup at all other than giving myself eyebrows. I did not choose reconstruction after my mast. because I did not want to deal with more surgeries. So I am pretty comfortable in my own skin. I might not have considered this right after my treatment because--well, first--it wasn't available then and I was focusing on other things...We all make the choices that feel right for us.  But after five years and getting my life back to kind of normal, I am glad to have the opportunity to have somewhat normal lashes finally as I have moved on. Believe me, they are just the average normal eyelash--nothing spectacular.. But after still looking sick five years later and not having enough lashes to even be able to apply mascara, I wanted to give it a try. 

 Here's a link to the full report:

http://www.fda.gov/ohrms/dockets/ac/08/briefing/2008-4397b1-04-Allergan.pdf

 Moissy

DO IT... I used it and love it!!!  I will never be without!  Totally worth the cost!

Had 4 rounds of TC ending June 08.  Eyelashes were only stubble in Mar of 09, so I started using Latisse/Lumigan.  I'm a runner and the sweat running into my eyes was painful.  My insurance wouldn't pay for Latisse, so my internist (also a runner) wrote Lumigan for me off-label.  Takes 10 or so weeks, but it works!  It grows lashes!!  They are 100% as long, thick, and dark as pre-chemo. 

Eyebrows were very slow to re-grow, and sparse.  By Sept 09, one was 35% re-grown and the other almost non-existent - so I started brushing the brow ridge with Lumigan daily.  Now, Jan 10, I have one 60% re-grown and the other about 35% - although both brows are markedly finer and fairer than pre-chemo.

BTW, forget arguing with the insurance company.  You can get the generic of Lumigan from Canada for $20 a month. 

My lashes basically look a little longer than a younger woman's, but not any thicker.  At least it's now worth putting on  mascara and using a curler---they were too short for that before the drops.  Of course, I have to clean my glasses more frequently, but that' s the kind of problem to have, no?

I am using Latisse and love it.  I am blond, years post chemo and middle aged.  That means I have transparent eyelashes and they are sparser than they used to be.  My eyelashes have not been this long since I was a teen.  It costs between $95-130 a bottle which lasts 6-8 weeks, depending on how stingy you are with it. Rite Aid sells it for $95, dermatologist charge close to $130. I take a day or so off now and then to extend it's use and it still works well. The risk of iris pigmentation in minimal but permanent.  The only eye color at risk I believe, is hazel or light brown.  I have blue eyes and have seen no changes at all and I have been using it for about 5 months.  It does grow thicker eyebrow hairs. I have had to trim a couple that grew out too long, but that''s OK.  I believe there is research into potential use for all sorts of other forms of alopecia including balding.  If it really worked to reverse balding in men I bet there would be quite a market for it.