Is It Safe To Use Latisse If You Have Glaucoma?

Glaucoma is an eye disease that damages the optic nerve, which is responsible for supplying information from the brain to the eyes. What glaucoma does, in most cases, is cause an abnormal pressure in the eyes that gradually leads to loss of vision. Just in case you are wondering what Latisse has got to do with glaucoma, and why the question was asked, it is because Latisse has an interesting history linked to the eye condition.

According to Dr. Micheal Baroody's blogsite, a pharmaceutical company called Allergan created a medicated eye drop in 2001 to treat glaucoma, but after a while of usage, patients that used the medication found that their eye lashes were becoming fuller, longer and lusher. This discovery led to a series of clinical studies that confirmed this to be the case, and eventually spurred the FDA's approval of Latisse. But, how safe it is to use this product?

It's only normal that people would want to know if Latisse is actually safe to use. According to the board certified plastic surgeon, Richard H. Fryer MD, Latisse was originally used to treat glaucoma, and the increase in eyelashes is only a side effect. Responding to a user on a medical questions-and-answer forum, Fryer noted that the difference between Latisse and an eyedrop made for glaucoma treatment is in the application of both.

"Latisse is applied to the eyelid, whereas the eyedrop is instilled directly to the eye," he advised on Real Self, further explaining that "applying Latisse may not deliver consistent levels of medication to the eye, so one cannot count on this for treating the pressure."

According to Alpha Medical Team, Latisse may even be more effective for those with healthy eyes than those who may be struggling with an eye issue. This is because studies have shown that Latisse use may result in itchy and red eyes, skin darkening, dryness of the eyes, and redness of the eyelids in some people. These are side effects the medication can cause, not to mention the allergies and medical problems that must be absent for the product to be effective.

Clearly, Latisse isn't an over-the-counter medication that can be applied without the prescription and advice of a doctor. As long as this is the case and usage does not exceed prescription, Latisse should be safe to use.