Latisse is a once-a-day treatment which is applied directly to the skin where the upper eyelash grows.  It is important not to use this solution to the lower eyelash since it may result to unnecessary hair growth which may irritate the eye.

In most cases, the result is visible for as short as four weeks, however, most doctors prescribing Latisse solution said that it generally takes 16 weeks or so before people can achieve full growth and see a significant change in the thickness of their eyelashes.

Despite the effectiveness of Latisse, doctors said that the result is reversible after several weeks or months of not using the product.  With this, it is important that people ask their doctors if they can continue using the solution once they have achieved full growth.

One of the primary ingredients in Latisse is the bimatoprost which is believed to increase the number and length of hairs resulting to thicker and fuller eyelashes.  And when it comes to safety, this ingredient is suitable to majority of people, in fact, only about 4 percent patients have reported itching sensation in the eyes or/and redness in the area.

Meanwhile, this is a step-by-step guide on how to apply Latisse solution:

1. Before applying the solution each night, a person should clean her face and remove her contact lenses.  If she is using facial care products, these should have already been applied before using Latisse.
2. Hold the sterile applicator horizontally and put one drop of Latisse solution closest to its tip but not directly on it.
3. Using the applicator, apply the solution directly to the base of the upper eyelash (where it meets the skin) by starting from the inner part of the lash line to the outer part.  Make sure the applicator will not touch the eye or the lower lid since excess hair growth outside the treatment may happen.
4. Remove the excess solution, especially beyond the eyelid, by using a soft tissue.
5. After one use, dispose off the applicator in order to avoid or at least minimize the risk of contamination from one eyelid to another.  Repeat the same procedures stated above when applying the solution to the opposite eyelid by using a new, sterile applicator.

Interviewing Memphis plastic surgery practices, MedSpas and clinics that offer Latisse, Beauty Editor Barbara Bradley found the product being snapped up by women who have sparse – and no – eye winkers but wanted larger eyelashes.

The eyelash enhancer was also snapped up without much regard to price!

In Memphis, the usual cost of Latisse is $120 a box which holds the product and 60 disposable applicators. But because so much is being sold – and apparently without any advertising – some are selling it for $99 a box or two for $200.

Talking with users around town, Ms. Bradley found one woman who had grown thick eyelashes in only five weeks.  Her husband refers to the eye winkers as the woman’s “pet tarantulas.” She told the newspaper she had also tossed out her eyelash mascara.

Eyelash extensions and fake eyelashes? Gone the way of the buggy whip!

The manufacturers and researchers – the same people who bring you Botox –  who developed Latisse say it can take up to four months to get long, thicker eyelashes. The same researchers think the active ingredient in Latisse – Bimatoprost, a prostaglandin used in the glaucoma drug Lumigan – keeps eyelashes in their growth phases longer.

To apply Latisse, the user just puts a drop on the end of a disposable applicator and applies it to the base of each upper eye lash every night. The substance moves down to darken lower lash lines on its own.

An easy way to get eyelash growth, huh?

During these budget-conscious times, some women are using one applicator on both eyelashes, stretching the product to last twice as long. But maybe that also makes it less effective?

DNK: the eyelash reports aren’t in yet!

A few Latisse fans also told Barbara Bradley they use Latisse “off-label” to darken eyebrows.

(“Off-label” in medicine means using a product for a purpose for which it is not intended.)

Downsides of Latisse include making eyelid skin darker if touched with the product and possible redness, dryness and irritation of the eyes.

To see why the eyelash growth product does not need advertising, check out the over-the-moon users who write Latisse reviews on RealSelf.com!

Actually, Latisse and darker eyelashes are becoming THE fashion statement. Some plastic surgeons who are offering the prescription-only darkener are holding black tie office receptions in its honor.

Case in point: the eyelash necklace. Not only that, the $38.00 necklace is made of real, sterilized human hair, says the manufacturer who’s mum about where the eyewinkers come from and if Latisse has been applied or not.

This may strike you as weird or totally cool.

In any event, we are predicting the next big thing  – eyewinker ear rings, bracelets and signet rings which due to size constraints would contain only one complete eyelash.

The day is past when women could get a man’s attention by batting eyelashes. Now, they can catch his eye by wearing them all over their bodies!

What do you think about eyelashes around your neck to match the ones on your eyelids?

How about Thanksgiving when somebody found the wish bone?

This one is new to us, but many children who found an eyelash on their cheek held the eye winker, blew on it and made a wish.

Yeah, we know, it sounds roundabout but we are coming to the point. And that is: eyelashes and wishes and their connection.

But first, we have to take a step back and refer you to our previous post about the new Latisse eyelash growth treatment and its FDA approval.

Then, proceeding on to our point again, Allergan, the makers of Latisse have started a new campaign to help the Make a Wish Foundation, the organization that helps wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Here’s the real deal: Allergan has ponied up $500,000, enlisted the aid of Brooke Shields and famed eyebrow specialist Anatasia Soare to make more of those wishes come true. Latisse plans on donating $5 for each person who signs up on their website between now and December 31, 2009, and hopes to reach a cool million bucks. Hey, that’s a lot of dreams come true! Did you know that a sick kid is granted a dream every 40 minutes?

Brooke -well known as a child activist – kicked things off,

Assisted by the eyelash blessed Debra Messing and Angie Harmon, the campaign will soon hit New York, Miami, Dallas, Minneapolis and San Francisco.

Latisse is the first and only eyelash enhancement preparation based on science.

The user dabs it right on the base of her upper eyelashes with a single use, disposable applicator. (More about Latisse.)

And we have a wish of our own that you can help make come true. No eye winkers needed! (But if you do find a dislodged eyelash, go ahead and blow on it while making your wish. Can’t hurt!)

Our wish: if you are interested in Latisse, kindly ask your physician or plastic surgeon about the substance’s side effects and if you could be one of the very, very few people for whom Latisse is not indicated.

To make more dreams of ill kids come true, register at the Latisse website.