WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — At the sixth and final day of the annual Hawaii Dermatology Seminar sponsored by Skin Disease Education Foundation in Waikoloa, Hawaii Dr. Joel Cohen kicked off the morning with a presentation titled, "Bimatoprost: Mechanism of Action."
People don't realize how important eyelashes are until they lose them, especially their role in shielding the eyes from the sun, said Dr. Cohen. I thought they were there just to make me look pretty. Not so. Dr. Cohen said they also protect the eyes from debris.
With that said, eyelash prominence is considered to be a desirable physical attribute. The before and after images Dr. Cohen showed of patients using bimatoprost 0.03% for cosmetic enhancement of the eyelashes were convincing, and I would not be surprised if you haven't had patients flooding into your office asking for the product already. (I'll probably head for my own consultation soon, too!)
He highlighted some fascinating facts about eyelashes and talked about the role of prostaglandin analogs during his presentation. While we are all aware of the approval of bimatoprost (Latisse) for eyelash growth for "cosmetic reasons," it is also being studied for use in cancer patients with complete eyelash loss. An upcoming study will be looking at chemotherapy-related hypotrichosis in children and another study will look at the same in adults.
Did you know that eyelashes are arranged in multiple rows, and that there are 100-150 eyelashes per eyelid? They are the widest of all human hairs and usually don't gray with age. (Image courtesy "jomak14" via flickr creative commons)
The investigative use of bimatoprost in alopecia areata was found to be beneficial when instilled in the eye, but only in patients with less than 50% eyelash loss, noted Dr. Cohen (J. Am. Acad. Dermatol. 2009;61:530-2). The randomized, double-blind, parallel assigned, safety and efficacy studies that are currently recruiting patients will be much welcomed in the understanding of the role of bimatoprost in growing eyelashes.
While the precise mechanism of action is unknown, Dr. Cohen recently completed a study in a murine model showing how bimatoprost changes the eyelash hair cycle. His study found that a 2-week course of bimatoprost resulted in an increased proportion of follicles in the anagen phase of the hair cycle (Derm. Surg. 2010; in press).
Are you offering Latisse in your office? If no, why not? If yes, would you recommend that other dermatologists also offer it to patients?
Dr. Cohen is a researcher and consultant to Allergan, maker of Latisse. He is an associate clinical professor of dermatology at the University of Colorado, Denver.
Amy
Managing Editor