Latisse

Of all the absurd medications and procedures advertised on television, the advertisements for the new prescription Latisse featuring Brooke Shields takes the cake! The new gel gives people fuller and longer eyelashes and requires daily application. Instead of buying a high end mascara or in the worst case have a professional put on some extensions, Latisse suggests that women actually apply a potentially harmful new drug to their eyelids. On the Latisse website it is recommended the product should be used like "every other routine," making it appear like no big deal. When I tried to find the side effects I also had some difficulty. There is a safety section that mentions "possible side effects" which include things such as itchiness or redness and more concerning side effects such as skin darkening and eyelid redness. In smaller print under a picture describes an even more disturbing side effect of the product: "brown pigmentation of the colored part of the eye which is likely to be permanent" and "hair growth to occur in other areas of the skin. " The smaller font under the the heading "Special warnings associated with Latisse use." Additionally, there is a separate PDF file that outlines even more information about the product. The website also contains a historical timeline of the "evolution of lash enhancers" that they begin in 4000 BC when men and women of Egypt used makeup to eventuate their eyes. In the 1800's, the development of Mascara occurs and there is even a section about the popularity of photography and compact mirrors. The website is comparing their product to harmless makeup to try and downplay the serious medical nature of the drug. They are also making note of the social pressures that women face when they mention the development of photography. Essentially Latisse is telling readers that it is because of photography and media images that women need to use their product.

Check the website out for yourself.

http://www.latisse.com/Default.aspx?return=true