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Lash Failure

A glaucoma treatment can increase eyelash growth but not, unfortunately, in patients with alopecia areata–related eyelash loss.

Application of latanoprost to eyelashes increases their number, thickness, and darkness. Some patients with alopecia areata lose their eyelashes, and many physicians have hoped, reasonably, that the drug would induce eyelash and eyebrow growth in these patients. Faghihi and colleagues conducted a bilateral-paired comparison study to test the efficacy of latanoprost for restoring lashes and brows in 26 patients.

All 26 patients had had alopecia areata for at least 3 months, and all had lost more than 50% of the hair on their eyebrows and eyelashes. The patients were instructed to apply a drop of topical latanoprost 0.005% to one eyebrow and another drop to the upper and lower eyelashes of the ipsilateral eye. Lashes and brows on the other side of the face remained untreated. Four months later, the researchers compared patients' current status with photographs taken at study entrance. Changes from baseline were recorded in terms of global response to latanoprost, defined as absent (0%–25%), partial response (26%–75%), or complete response (76%–100%). All patients completed the study. Only one patient had any response, and that was a partial response on the drug-treated side.

Comment: This is at least the fourth study of latanoprost conducted in hopes of finding a successful treatment for the loss of eyelid and eyebrow hair in alopecia areata. As in the other three studies, latanoprost failed to induce meaningful regrowth for these patients.

— Mark V. Dahl, MD

Published in Journal Watch Dermatology February 5, 2010

Citation(s):

Faghihi G et al. The efficacy of latanoprost in the treatment of alopecia areata of eyelashes and eyebrows. Eur J Dermatol 2009 Nov/Dec; 19:586.

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