Von á lyfseðilsskyldu lyfi sem lengir augnahár

Allergan plans to introduce prescription eyelash enhancer

On its front page, the

New York Times

(1/14, A1, Singer) reports that, at the end of this month, Allergan "plans to introduce Latisse (bimatoprost), the first federally approved prescription drug for growing longer, lusher lashes." Latisse "has the same formula as Allergan's eye drops for glaucoma, called Lumigan (bimatoprost ophthalmic)," which is a prostaglandin analog "meant to reduce dangerous pressure in the eyeball." One of bimatoprost's side effects is "to make the eyelashes of many patients longer and fuller." Now, "some medical experts say they worry that cosmetic customers may occasionally experience some of the glaucoma drug's other side effects, which can include red, itchy eyes and changes in eyelid pigmentation." Meanwhile, "some financial analysts...wonder how many people will want to spend $120 for a monthly dose of lash-lengthening Latisse." Nevertheless, "Allergan plans to introduce Latisse this month primarily to cosmetic doctors like dermatologists, but declined to discuss marketing plans."

Hárlenging getur valdið varanlegum skalla

Using hair extensions may result in permanent bald patches, dermatologists say.

The U.K.'s

Daily Mail

(1/1, Hagan) reported that, according to research published in the

British Journal of Dermatology

, "women who use hair extensions risk developing permanent bald patches, skin experts have warned." In fact, "some women start to lose their hair within a week of having false strands fitted." Some dermatologist say that "the extensions, which are attached to a person's real hair by glue, weaving, or braiding, put such tension on follicles in the scalp that they can become inflamed, causing hair to fall out -- a condition known as traction alopecia." This can result in "permanent bald spots, because the damage to follicles is irreversible." In their study, dermatologists from the University of Miami and Italy's Bologna University found that "even women who had no visible signs of hair loss after wearing extensions had considerable underlying damage to the scalp when examined more closely."