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How can I stimulate my eyelashes to grow?

If you’ve ever watched TV or opened a magazine, you’ve likely heard of a product called Latisse—the only FDA-approved eyelash growth serum on the market. It was originally created as eye drops for glaucoma (high eye pressure), when doctors noticed its other benefit: the ability to grow longer, thicker eyelashes.

After a few iterations and ingredient refinements, Latisse was born, using the active ingredient bimatoprost to help grow your existing lashes and stimulate the growth of new hairs in four to six weeks. Pretty cool, huh? The only little hurdle is that it’s prescription only, so you gotta go to a derm or doctor to get it.

Which brings us to your next thought: What about the random eyelash serums I see on articles and Instagram? And, ahem, right this way…

Do OTC eyelash growth serums really work?

Not to further complicate a topic that’s already complicated enough, but this question is a loaded one. If your friends have been using OTC lash serums and *swear* they’ve gotten longer, thicker lashes, it’s very possible they’re using a product that contains an ingredient comparable to bimatoprost.

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“There are some non-prescription lash serums that contain similar growth ingredients, like isopropyl cloprostenate, but these aren’t FDA-regulated or approved,” says Dr. Haberman. So just because you can buy them from your mom’s best friend, it doesn’t mean these lash serums are totally harmless to try. As with any medication, there are side effects to take into consideration before painting your whole eye with the stuff.

Are lash serums safe?

Yes, no, and possibly. There’s good reason (well, actually, reasons plural) why you need a prescription to get your hands on Latisse: It’s an actual drug (for glaucoma!), which means an actual doctor needs to make sure it won’t interfere with other medications you’re taking or have a negative side effect on your eyes.

And you know all those rumors about someone’s eye color changing from using an eyelash serum? Yeah, that’s a possibility if you’re using a formula with growth ingredients. According to Dr. Haberman, if the serum gets inside the eye, those with lighter eyes could notice a change in the color of their irises after repeat exposure. In other words, your baby blues could end up brown if you’re not applying the product carefully, thinly, and only to your lash line.

Other risks: A growth serum can also cause discoloration of the skin and/or irritation and puffiness of the lid if it seeps into your eye. Of course, like all side effects, these are a possibility, not a guarantee—some people can use lash serums without any issues, but this is still a good reminder to always read the ingredients list and talk to your doctor, first.

If women want to grow longer, fuller, darker eyelashes, Brooke Shields suggests on a ubiquitous television advertisement that they ask their doctors if Latisse is right for them.

But in the case of Latisse, which has sold more than a million bottles to date and gained something of a cult following, it turns out to be easy to bypass a doctor’s prescription or visit.

Some salon workers dispense it to clients who go in for facials. Web sites in the United States and abroad sell it outright with few questions asked. Even doctors are getting into the act: for example, Dr. Anshul V. Gambhir, a former primary care doctor, runs www.latisse.bz, which boasts that it is the “largest Latisse retailer.” All it takes to get Latisse mailed out — without ever seeing him — is filling out a medical history, which he reviews, and typing in a valid credit card number.

“We are doing a ton of business,” said Dr. Gambhir, who also offers Latisse at his three offices in Pennsylvania.

Most people use Latisse, a topical solution, with few, if any, complaints. But the drug can cause redness, itchiness and irritation, which go away if use is discontinued. Less common is eyelid discoloration, which Allergan, the manufacturer, says “may be reversible.” A rare side effect that has captured the most attention is the chance that one’s hazel or blue eyes could turn brown — forever.

Latisse lash serum is a popular solution to help you grow longer eyelashes, but studies have shown that it can cause irritation to the eye for certain people. The FDA warns that in addtion to eye irritation, Latisse can also cause skin discoloration and even potentially change your eye color permanently. Yep.

Unfortunately, other over-the-counter products that promise eyelash growth aren’t much better.