Monday, December 27, 2010

Could Latisse change iris colour?

This is something that I've been thinking about daily since starting on Latisse.  I have hazel eyes and really don't want them to change.  Iris pigmentation is one of the scariest potential side effects on the Latisse list.  It comes from the experience with Lumigan, the glaucoma medication which is the same medication as Latisse.  With Lumigan, the incidence of iris pigmentation using the 0.03% solution was approximately 1.5%.  This is not a rare complication, but actually qualifies it as a common side effect (defined as 1-10% incidence).
The method of administration is obviously different-Lumigan goes directly into the eye and Latisse is painted on the lash line but Allergan themselves said the dose was 1/20th the dose of Lumigan.  Considering the drug itself is the same, this implies that a dose to the eye is expected.  It's not inconceivable that a liquid applied to the lash line could enter the eye.  Optrex, a manufacturer of eye drops in the UK has capitalised on this with an eye mist called Actimist.  The pictures I initially posted here disappeared but you can see images of how it works on the website.  They have a nifty demonstration where they spray a special dye on the eyelid and you can see it on the eye after blinking.  Another thing that promotes the idea of something being applied around the eye getting into it is that an easy way of applying eye drops is also to apply to the inside corner of your eye and just blink to disperse.
So, I do think Latisse could enter the eye during use and therefore could lead to iris pigmentation.  This is probably even more of a risk if a little too much fluid is used or it's applied to close to the inside corner of the eye.  I'm noticing results now (even my sister noticed!) so will keep going with my supply but I don't think I'll continue long term.  I'd like to see if there are official reports of iris pigmentation (not blog comments) before committing to it!

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