ALPHARETTA , Georgia ( CNN ) -- Soft music filled the room as waiters served white wine and hors d'oeuvres . Two dozen well-dressed women chatted in small groups . Mary Johnson , 56 , who lost most of her lashes during chemotherapy , was excited to give Latisse a try . But , this was no ordinary cocktail party . The setting was the lobby of the OH2 Medical Spa in Alpharetta , Georgia . The women were on hand to take part in a new beauty treatment hitting the United States : the promise of better looking eyelashes through a prescription drug called Latisse . `` It 's the latest , the greatest , '' exclaimed the party hostess , Christine Glavine , wife of Major League Baseball pitcher Tom Glavine . She invited a group of friends to meet with local plastic surgeon Dr. Randy Rudderman to get a dose of the new FDA-approved medication . Glavine did n't have to do much convincing . Tammie Wilson , 43 , of Roswell , Georgia , said she was motivated to try the product because `` I want to be able to look like I have on makeup when I do n't . '' Watch more on the marketing of Latisse » . `` I have blond hair and blond lashes . I have to put on three coats of mascara , '' complained her friend Jennifer Altmeyer , also 43 and from Roswell . Altmeyer , who is hoping to be able to skip mascara altogether , was the first to line up at Rudderman 's exam room . The drug is available only through a doctor ; it is approved to treat hair loss on the lash line . The product maker , Allergan , says Latisse will thicken , darken and lengthen inadequate or skimpy eyelashes in as little as eight weeks . But , here 's the catch : Doctors report it takes up to 16 weeks to see maximum eyelash growth . If you discontinue Latisse , your lashes will go back to their original state in a few months . Visit CNNhealth.com , your connection for better living . Oh , and by the way , the drug is n't cheap . It costs about $ 120 for a 30-day supply . Latisse was discovered almost by accident , Rudderman said . The product contains a compound that is also found in medication that decreases eye pressure in glaucoma patients . `` A significant number of those patients started having a side effect of increased growth of eyelashes , '' said Rudderman . Women like Altmeyer are clamoring to give Latisse a try . Rudderman 's assistant first removed Altmeyer 's eye makeup and then applied a drop of Latisse to a small applicator . The wand was then swiped across her top lashes . Rudderman advised Altmeyer to apply the drug once a day before she goes to bed and not to apply Latisse to lower lashes because they come in contact with the medicine on the top lashes during blinks . Rudderman said Latisse comes with several warnings : It is approved only for those over 18 and is not recommended for pregnant women , people with pre-existing eye conditions or those with allergies to the ingredients . Rudderman said some of the most common side effects are itchy and red eyes and hyper-pigmentation , or darkening along the eyelash base . Dr. Pradeep Sinha , a plastic surgeon in Atlanta , Georgia , started working with the glaucoma version of the medication two years ago on an off-label -- or trial -- basis , before it was approved specifically for eyelash thickening . While he said his patients were happy with the results , Sinha noted another unpleasant side effect if the user is not careful while wielding the applicator . `` One patient was messy and grew small , fuzzy hair on her eyelid , '' Sinha said . He instructed the woman to stop using the product , and the unwanted hair eventually fell out . Some women , like Mary Johnson , a 56-year-old breast cancer survivor , are willing to take their chances . After undergoing chemotherapy last year she lost a lot of eyelashes . `` That was really devastating for me , '' she said . She said she could put a wig on her head , but for the rest of her face she had to `` fake it '' by drawing in a lash line and eyebrows with cosmetics . Johnson tried some over-the-counter lash products , but she said none of them worked . She was smiling as she received her first dose of Latisse from Rudderman . `` Until you have lost your eyelashes , you do n't really realize how hard it is to put eye makeup on , '' she said . `` When you lose your eyelashes you just do n't look the same . ''
Newly FDA - approved Latisse claims to extend , darken and lengthen lashes . Latisse is now also found in glaucoma medication . Patients given that medicine had increased eyelash growth . Drawbacks include dry and red eyes , darkening around lash line and high price .