A recent article in the New York Times featured the use of Latisse (bimatoprost 0.03%) for the treatment of hair loss. As many of you may know, this Allergan-produced product is indicated for use for thinning eyelashes.

Young woman with hair loss problem looking in mirror at homeWith the overwhelming response from my staff and patients, the product does work well. I myself just started using it for thinning eyebrow hairs on the outer quadrants of my eyebrows. By virtue of the prostaglandin effect on hair growth, this product was discovered in patients being treated at a higher percentage for glaucoma who were found to have secondary hair growth in the eyelash region.

The major limitation of this product at this time is cost, approximately $150 per month’s supply, for the eyelashes. Obviously, potentially proportionately more when we are talking about a whole head of lost hair. Nothing substitutes for a hair transplant in significant baldness, but Latisse may prove to be a good secondary option, especially if the price can be controlled. Hopefully, Allergan will drop pricing when it finishes its initial FDA clinical trials. A colleague of mine in New Jersey actually uses Latisse as his primary weapon against his own male pattern baldness.

At this time, I think Latisse is more of a novelty for extensive hair loss but can be beneficial for limited areas like eyebrows (my own) and eyelashes.

Samuel M. Lam, MD, FACS is a board certified hair restoration surgeon in Dallas, Texas. To learn more about Dr Lam’s hair restoration procedures please visit our website hairtx.com or call 972-312-8105 to schedule a consultation.