# Bimatoprost for eyelash and eyebrow regrowth

Source: https://onco.cc/technologies/bimatoprost-eyelash-regrowth/  
OnCo record `bimatoprost-eyelash-regrowth` (Technology). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

Eyelashes and eyebrows often fall out with chemotherapy and can be slow to return. Bimatoprost, a glaucoma eye drop approved for thin lashes, applied along the lash line each night increased lash length and thickness in a randomised trial that included people after chemotherapy.

## Summary

Bimatoprost 0.03 percent, a prostaglandin analogue, was approved by the FDA in 2008 for eyelash hypotrichosis after it was noticed that glaucoma patients grew longer lashes. A randomised, double-masked, vehicle-controlled trial (Glaser et al., British Journal of Dermatology 2015) enrolled adults with idiopathic hypotrichosis and a cohort who had completed chemotherapy at least four weeks earlier; nightly application to the upper lash margin significantly improved lash prominence, length, thickness and darkness by month 4 in both groups, with continued benefit to 12 months and mainly local side effects (conjunctival redness, eyelid skin darkening). Off-label use on eyebrows is common with less evidence. Iris darkening, a known effect of glaucoma drops instilled into the eye, is rare with lash-margin application. Lashes usually regrow unaided within a few months after chemotherapy, so bimatoprost is for those who want faster or fuller return, and is not used during active chemotherapy.

## Fields

- Kind: Technology
- Status: approved
- Last checked: 2026-09-10
- Tags: complementary; supportive-care; evidence:moderate
- Principle: Prostaglandin F2-alpha analogue signalling prolongs the anagen phase and increases the proportion of follicles in growth, lengthening and thickening lashes.
- Since: 2008
- Strengths: Approved drug with a randomised trial including post-chemotherapy patients; Once-nightly topical use; Reversible on stopping
- Limitations: Cosmetic prescription, rarely reimbursed; Local irritation and skin darkening; Not for use during active chemotherapy

## Sources

- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bimatoprost
- Bimatoprost 0.03% for idiopathic and chemotherapy-induced eyelash hypotrichosis, randomised controlled trial (Br J Dermatol 2015): https://doi.org/10.1111/bjd.13443

## Connected records

- fronts: [Chemotherapy](https://onco.cc/fronts/chemotherapy/), [Recovery & Rejuvenation](https://onco.cc/fronts/rejuvenation/), [Supportive Care & Survivorship](https://onco.cc/fronts/supportive-care/)
- technologies: [Minoxidil for persistent chemotherapy- and endocrine-therapy hair loss](https://onco.cc/technologies/minoxidil-chemotherapy-alopecia/), [Scalp cooling (cold caps: DigniCap, Paxman)](https://onco.cc/technologies/scalp-cooling/), [Wigs, cranial prostheses and head coverings](https://onco.cc/technologies/wigs-cranial-prosthesis/)
- drugs: [Docetaxel](https://onco.cc/drugs/docetaxel/), [Doxorubicin](https://onco.cc/drugs/doxorubicin/), [Paclitaxel / nab-paclitaxel](https://onco.cc/drugs/paclitaxel/)
- bottlenecks: [Toxicity and quality of life are undervalued](https://onco.cc/bottlenecks/b-toxicity-qol/)
- key papers: [Long-term safety and efficacy of bimatoprost solution 0·03% application to the eyelid margin for the treatment of idiopathic and chemotherapy-induced eyelash hypotrichosis: a randomized controlled trial](https://onco.cc/key-papers/paper-glaser-br-j-dermatol/)
- terms: [Eyebrow and eyelash loss (madarosis)](https://onco.cc/terms/hair-brows-and-lashes/)

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