Upneeq® is the only FDA-approved prescription eyedrop that raises acquired droopy upper eyelids for adults. Apply one drop of this medication on the affected eye(s) once per day and see the effect most commonly within 15 minutes. Upneeq® can make you took less tired and improve your ability to handle activities of daily living such as reading, driving, computer use, and looking up without needing to tilt your head back. For many patients, Upneeq® offers an alternative to eyelid surgery.
As an alpha agonist, Upneeq® may affect your blood pressure, so it should be used with care if you take an alpha-adrenergic agonist for heart disease or an enlarged prostate, if you take a beta blocker (such as atenolol, carvedilol, labetalol, metoprolol, and propranolol), or if you are on monoamine oxidase inhibitors for depression. It should also be used with caution in patients with reduced blood flow to the brain, dry eye or dry mouth due to Sjogren’s syndrome, or narrow angles.
The most common side effects (in 1-5% of patients) include eye inflammation, eye redness, dry eye, blurred vision, eye pain at the time of use, eye irritation, and headaches.
Latisse® is the first FDA-approved treatment to help lengthen, thicken, and darken eyelashes. Latisse® contains bimatoprost, the same active ingredient as the glaucoma medication Lumigan. The bimatoprost concentration, however, is 0.03% in Latisse® versus 0.01% in Lumigan. Latisse® not only extends the growth phase but also increases the number of sprouting hairs.
Apply Latisse® along your upper lash line with a sterile applicator each night. As you blink, the medication will spread to your lower lashline. Dabbing it directly on your lower lashline is not advised, as this may result in darkening of the lower lid skin.
You should see results after two months of nightly use. Side effects can include eye redness, eyelid/eye itchiness, dry eyes, unwanted hair growth, eyelid skin darkening, and/or iris hyperpigmentation (because it increases the amount of melanin in the melanosomes). Patients with hazel eyes are at greatest risk for iris hyperpigmentation. Used correctly, Latisse® can darken lashes, double eyelash thickness, and make them 25% longer in four months.
