The Latisse prescribing information (bimatoprost 0.03%) says the onset of effect is gradual but is not significant in the majority of patients until 2 months. Trials measured results at set points such as week 16 or month 4. For stopping, the Latisse label says eyelash growth is expected to return to its pre-treatment level, and a 2015 randomized controlled trial of bimatoprost solution 0.03% reports effects maintained for approximately 2 months but markedly diminished 4-6 months after cessation in patients with idiopathic hypotrichosis.
What the label says about timing
The 2 month statement is in the patient counseling section of the Latisse label, and the excerpt names no group beyond "patients". The label's clinical studies section describes a four-month study of 278 adult patients. Its primary efficacy endpoint was at least a 1-grade increase on the 4-point Global Eyelash Assessment (GEA) scale, from baseline to week 16. The same label gives a longer time frame for a different change: iris color changes seen with bimatoprost ophthalmic solution may not be noticeable for several months to years.
When the trials measured results
| Source and who it applies to | Time point and result |
|---|---|
| 2012 randomized, vehicle-controlled trial: subjects given bimatoprost 0.03% (n = 137) or vehicle (n = 141) | At week 16 the share with at least a 1-grade increase in global eyelash assessment score was 78.1% versus 18.4% (P < .0001). |
| Two Japanese controlled studies of bimatoprost 0.03%: Japanese subjects | At month 4 the share with at least a 1-grade GEA improvement versus vehicle was 77.3 vs 17.6% in study 1 and 88.9 vs 27.8% in study 2. |
| 2015 randomized controlled trial of bimatoprost solution 0.03%: idiopathic and postchemotherapy patients | Month 4 composite responder rate: idiopathic 40·2% versus 6·8% for vehicle; postchemotherapy 37·5% versus 18·2% for vehicle. |
| 2015 postchemotherapy study: bimatoprost 0.03% or vehicle for six months | Responder rate versus vehicle: 37.5% vs. 18.2% at Month 4 (p=0.041) and 46.9% vs. 18.2% at Month 6 (p=0.004). |
| 2016 pediatric study: pediatric subjects, concentration not stated | At month 4 eyelash prominence improved in 70.8% versus 26.1% with vehicle (P<0.001). |
These are group percentages at fixed times. The text used here does not say when any one person first saw a change.
What the sources say about stopping
- Latisse label, dosage and administration section: upon discontinuation of treatment, eyelash growth is expected to return to its pre-treatment level.
- Latisse patient information: the eyelashes are expected to return to their previous appearance over several weeks to months.
- Latisse clinical studies section: a 4-week post-treatment period followed the 16-week treatment period, during which the effects of bimatoprost started to return toward baseline. The effect on eyelash growth is expected to abate following longer term discontinuation.
- 2015 randomized controlled trial (bimatoprost solution 0.03%), patients with idiopathic hypotrichosis: treatment effects were maintained for approximately 2 months but markedly diminished 4-6 months following treatment cessation.
- A 2016 pediatric study, concentration not stated: the month 4 benefit was sustained at month 5 post-treatment assessment.
The label says "expected" in these statements, apart from the 4-week finding, which describes what happened in its clinical studies. The time frames differ, and the sources used here do not explain why. The pediatric abstract does not say how long after the last application that assessment was. The label excerpts name no particular group.
Effects other than lash growth are described too. A 2015 pooled analysis of six trials of bimatoprost 0.03% or vehicle in adults says most adverse events occurred early, were mild in intensity, localized to treatment site and reversible with treatment cessation.
The Latisse label says bimatoprost has been reported to cause pigment changes (darkening) to periorbital pigmented tissues and eyelashes, that the pigmentation is expected to increase as long as bimatoprost is administered, and that it has been reported to be reversible upon discontinuation in most patients. It says increased iris pigmentation has occurred when bimatoprost solution was administered, and advises patients about "the potential for increased brown iris pigmentation which is likely to be permanent". It advises patients who develop a new ocular condition, a sudden decrease in visual acuity, ocular surgery, or any ocular reactions, particularly conjunctivitis and eyelid reactions, to immediately seek their physician's advice.
What this does not tell you
None of these sources says how fast any one person would notice a change or how long it would last. The label statements are for Latisse (0.03%). The trial abstracts name bimatoprost 0.03% or give no concentration, and none describes a compounded serum. The FDA states that compounded drugs are not FDA approved, which means the agency does not review their safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed. Nothing here shows a compounded product follows the same time frame. A licensed provider decides whether a product fits a given person.