The January 2012 issue of the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology contains an article, written by Drs. Schweiger and Bernstein, which is the first case study of eyebrow growth from the topical use of bimatoprost.
Latisse (bimatoprost) is a topical medication that is FDA-approved for eyelash growth. Some physicians have used the medication for “off-label” use, such as use with eyelashes and scalp hair. However, until recently, there had not been any published medical literature describing the off-label use.
In the case report, a 47-year-old Caucasian woman visited Bernstein Medical for an evaluation of hair loss in one of her eyebrows, also known as eyebrow hypotrichosis. The hair loss was gradual, but had become cosmetically significant, and so she became interested in treating her thinning left eyebrow.
At her evaluation, the doctor discussed treatment options with the patient, including Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT) and medical treatment with bimatoprost. She decided on medical treatment, and so started a four month treatment regime.
At a follow-up visit four months later, the patient reported significant thickening of her left lateral eyebrow. […] Physical examination revealed increased left eyebrow density, hair length, darker color, slight skin pigmentation, and eyelash treatment.
The conclusion of the article states:
We report one of the first cases of topical bimatoprost for successful treatment of eyebrow hypotrichosis. Studies are needed to confirm the efficacy and safety of topical bimatoprost to treat eyebrow hypotrichosis.
Also noted is that if the efficacy and safety of the medication are confirmed through additional testing, it would be a viable non-surgical option for eyebrow restoration.
