Latisse Guide: How To Get Latisse Online

If you’re interested in enhancing your eyelashes, you’ve likely come across Latisse, a popular prescription eyelash growth treatment. Also known as bimatoprost,1 Latisse is FDA-approved for growing thicker, longer, and darker eyelashes.2 Whether improving your lashes interests you for cosmetic purposes or to treat eyelash hypotrichosis (too few eyelashes), you will have to overcome the barrier of Latisse requiring a prescription.

With so many telehealth providers across the internet — many of which offer Latisse — it can be difficult to figure out which ones offer the best deals while also remaining convenient to use. In this guide, we aim to demystify the process and present you with our top telehealth choices for getting Latisse online. If you’re in a hurry, you can check out our list of recommendations below.

Our top online providers for Latisse:

• Best overall Latisse experience: Ro
• Runner-up: SkinSolutions.MD
• Honorable mention: Hers

Over the past two decades, Innerbody Research has been dedicated to helping tens of millions of readers in making well-informed decisions about their health and well-being.

When reviewing products or services, our approach involves thorough testing with a focus on quality, current medical research, and the latest health standards. For this guide to getting Latisse online, we personally tried and investigated both Latisse and the mentioned telehealth services. We also examined multiple scientific studies and journals to bring you factual information about Latisse (bimatoprost), including side effects, trial results, and conditions it may help treat.

Additionally, like all health-related content on this website, this review was thoroughly vetted by one or more members of our Medical Review Board for accuracy.

When choosing products or services to recommend to our readers, we examine them under various sets of criteria. In the case of online Latisse providers, we looked at cost, convenience, and transparency.

Cost

Winner: SkinSolutions.MD

Since Latisse is a product that requires consistent, daily use in order to see and maintain results, we chose our winner for cost based on how much a recurring subscription will run you. While Ro is a close runner-up here, SkinSolutions.MD comes out on top in terms of cost if you set up your prescription in a specific way.

Like all of our top picks for getting Latisse online, SkinSolutions.MD offers the medication in 3mL and 5mL varieties. The chart below breaks down your purchase options.

While things might seem pretty straightforward, this is actually only the case for the 3mL (one month) variety. If you purchase the 5mL (three month) subscription, SkinSolutions.MD initially recommends you have it delivered every ten weeks. Since there are 52 weeks in a year, with a ten-week cycle you would be getting charged $134 five times per year, or a total of $670. Ro, on the other hand, charges and delivers your 5mL Latisse quarterly, or four times a year, for a yearly total of $636.

Since there are only 12 months in a year, it seemingly makes more sense to get the 3-month supply four times per year instead of five. If you adjust your SkinSolutions.MD subscription to deliver every three months, like Ro, your yearly cost drops down to $536 — $100 less than Ro and $134 less than getting it every ten weeks.

Convenience

Winner: Ro

While the existence of a subscription option alone makes each of our top picks fairly convenient, there are certain aspects of Ro’s service that really make it stand out. It’s the only one of our picks to provide free 2-day shipping and unlimited, free follow-up appointments to monitor your progress. When you’re starting a new prescription treatment routine, those follow-ups are invaluable.

You also receive money off of your first order ($11 off a 3mL one-month supply bottle or $25 off a 5mL three-month supply one) — this makes your first purchase just as cost-effective as the subscription prices from SkinSolutions.MD. Like our other picks, Ro also allows you to pause or cancel your subscription without penalty. This means that, technically, you can easily purchase a single bottle of Latisse to try at a lower price and resume your subscription if or when you want. Keep in mind, though, that while you can start to see results at eight weeks, you’ll need to stick with it for 16 to see full results.

Additionally, Latisse from Ro (and Hers) is available in all 50 states and Washington D.C. While SkinSolutions.MD ships to most states, it isn’t able to ship Latisse to Arkansas.

Transparency

Winner: Ro

When purchasing prescriptions online or using a telehealth service, transparency means a lot in terms of the overall customer experience. And Ro is, by far, the most transparent of our top picks when it comes to information about its Latisse. On the product page, you can easily find:

• What a subscription for Latisse from Ro costs
• How much shipping is (free)
• The fact that shipping is discreet
• The discounts for first-time purchases
• How often you will be billed
• Safety information
• Clinical trial data
• Reviews
• A treatment timeline
• An FAQ

This is massively different compared to Hers, which, disappointingly, offers you little to no information about its Latisse. There’s nothing on Hers’ page about pricing, billing, shipping, consultation cost, available quantities, customer experiences, and so on. We had to reach out multiple times to Hers’ customer service to get the information we did for this guide.

SkinSolutions.MD does a bit of a better job than Hers — it at least tells you the available quantities, cost, billing frequency, consultation inclusion, and how shipping for subscriptions is free. It’s not as thorough as Ro’s page, but SkinSolutions.MD at least gives consumers more information than Hers does.

The chart below compares our top choices for getting Latisse online in terms of cost, consultations, follow-ups, and shipping.

From the pharmaceutical company Allergan, Latisse, also known as bimatoprost ophthalmic solution,1 is the first and only FDA-approved treatment (so far) to promote eyelash growth.2 With consistent use, Latisse progressively encourages the growth of longer, thicker, and darker eyelashes.

Bimatoprost was initially used as a treatment for glaucoma under the brand name Lumigan to reduce eye pressure and associated pain.3 However, individuals using Lumigan to treat glaucoma experienced an unexpected side-effect — noticeable lengthening and increased volume of their eyelashes. This unintended outcome, which experts still don’t fully understand, eventually paved the way for the creation of Latisse.

While the science behind how and why Latisse works is still a bit of a mystery, it’s been suggested that prostaglandin analogs (the class of drugs bimatoprost belongs to)3 may prolong the active growth phase of eyelashes.4 In a 2011 clinical trial, 78% of participants saw a significant enhancement in their eyelash prominence after using Latisse for five months.5 Additionally, a separate 2011 study found that patients experiencing chemotherapy-induced madarosis (loss of eyebrows or eyelashes) responded positively to Latisse.6

However, a 2010 study on the effects of topical bimatoprost in patients with alopecia areata produced mixed results, with only about 43% of patients experiencing an “acceptable cosmetic response.”7 All of this means that more research is necessary to determine which conditions and situations are best suited for treatment with Latisse.

While full results typically take 16 weeks to appear, it usually only takes about eight weeks of daily use to start seeing results.8 Eyelash improvements remain as long as you continue to use Latisse — if you stop, your eyelashes will eventually return to their original appearance.

Though the marketing for Latisse leans heavily toward women, it’s also perfectly suitable for men or people of any gender. Most adults interested in longer, fuller, darker eyelashes can be considered candidates for this medication. There are, however, situations where using Latisse is not recommended, including:9

• You’re pregnant or breastfeeding
• You’ve been prescribed medication to lower eye pressure
• You have an eye condition such as glaucoma, macular edema, or eye inflammation (uveitis)

As a general rule of thumb, consider speaking with your family doctor or ophthalmologist before using Latisse, even if you don’t fall into the categories above. While telemedicine providers are medical doctors, they don’t automatically have the same access to your medical records as the doctors you normally see. They typically only go by your answers from the intake questionnaire (or video visit), which is why it’s important to be honest and thorough when answering those questions — omitted information could lead to serious health complications.

Latisse can potentially be beneficial for those with eyelash hypotrichosis (inadequate or not enough eyelashes) due to certain health conditions or medical treatments. The following list is not all-inclusive, but it includes many various reasons you may lose eyelashes:10 11 12

When it comes to using Latisse, it should only be applied “across the skin of the upper eyelid margin at the base of the eyelashes” with a single-use disposable applicator. It should never be used on your lower eyelid, in your eyes, or as an eye drop. Applying the drug is similar to putting on eyeliner, so if that’s something you’re familiar and comfortable with, Latisse ought to be pretty easy for you to use.

Before starting to use Latisse, it’s also important to familiarize yourself with its side effects. If any of the drug’s potential side effects make you uncomfortable with the idea of using Latisse, then it’s probably best to avoid it and find an alternative solution. We delve further into those side effects below.

The most common side effects of Latisse reported during its trial phase were itchy eyes, red or irritated eyes, eyelid hyperpigmentation, dry eyes, and eyelid redness.13 According to Allergan’s data on adverse reactions, less than 4% of clinical trial patients experienced these side effects.14 Some reactions identified after the drug was released include:

If you experience darkened eyelids while using Latisse, it’s likely the darker pigmentation will fade when the medication is stopped. However, any changes in iris color are permanent. The chances of your iris color changing from Latisse are fairly low, but still possible, due to the medication being applied outside of your actual eye.20 This side effect is more commonly seen from glaucoma medications (prostaglandins) that are used as eyedrops,21 such as latanoprost.22 23

Generally, Latisse is safe and effective for many people, but if you have worries about the potential side effects then it’s recommended you discuss your concerns with your doctor or ophthalmologist.

Latisse (bimatoprost) requires a prescription, so you’ll need to consult with a doctor or nurse practitioner before you’re able to start your treatment. Making an appointment and visiting your family practitioner is an option, but if you’d prefer a more convenient solution from the comfort of your home, there are a variety of online options available that allow you to get a prescription for Latisse — and the medication itself — quickly and easily.

Online telehealth services like Ro (our top recommendation), SkinSolutions.MD, and Hers allow you to fill out a medical questionnaire (or have a video visit, depending on your state’s laws) via your computer or mobile device. You’ll have an opportunity to communicate with your assigned provider, and they can prescribe Latisse virtually if it’s right for you.

This process often takes less than 15-20 minutes, and many telehealth providers offer short shipping windows (like Ro’s 2-day shipping), so it’s possible to have Latisse at your doorstep within a couple of days.

Additionally, some telehealth providers and online pharmacies (like Optum and Amazon Pharmacy, respectively) offer generic Latisse, or bimatoprost topical. If you’re concerned about the generic being just as effective as name-brand Latisse, the FDA found the generic formula to be therapeutically equivalent.15 This means that it has “the same clinical effect and safety profile” as the branded product.16 A generic option may be particularly appealing to those who feel on-brand Latisse is too expensive, especially since you’ll likely need to pay out of pocket. This is because the medication is considered to be for cosmetic purposes only (not medically necessary), so insurance rarely, if ever, covers it.

Getting a Latisse or generic bimatoprost prescription and filling it online is a great solution for many patients, and there are several telehealth providers to choose from — including our top picks, which we’ll delve into below.

Best overall Latisse experience

Around 2018, the male-centric telehealth brand Roman branched out into treating concerns beyond men’s health, including dermatology, menopause symptoms, weight loss, and so on. This business model change brought with it a new, more unisex-sounding name — Ro.

Ro is a gender-inclusive telehealth company that offers online healthcare services and prescriptions to treat or manage:

The company also offers supplements, hair care products, and test kits for COVID-19, fertility, hormones, and more. Our specific focus for this guide is on Ro’s treatment of short lashes — its Latisse offering.

Through Ro, you can get Latisse by filling out a medical history form and completing an online consultation or video visit, both of which typically take less than 20 minutes. For legal reasons, this process requires you to upload an unedited photo of yourself and your ID. While Ro states during checkout that the review process may take up to 24 hours, from consultation to prescription approval, the entire process only took two hours during our testing, and the Latisse shipped that same day.

During the process, you can choose between receiving one 5mL bottle of Latisse every three months ($159), or one 3mL bottle monthly ($110). For your first purchase, this is reduced to $134 for 5mL and $99 for 3mL. Ro also offers free 2-day shipping and, based on our testing, the package arrives in your mailbox within that time frame.

As a side note, something we appreciate is Ro not charging patients for the prescription before it’s approved. SkinSolutions.MD, on the other hand, actually charges you the cost of a subscription before you receive an approval, meaning you have to initiate a refund if you’re denied. The company doesn’t do this, however, if you make a one-time purchase; this is only a concern for SkinSolutions if you’re subscribing.

Once your subscription starts, you can manage it from the Ro patient dashboard. From your dashboard, you can view or manage your treatment details, including:

• How many refills you have left
• The strength of your prescription
• Instructions on how to use your medication
• The script’s expiration date
• A PDF download of your prescription
• Information about auto-refills (which you can modify or cancel to instead purchase on demand)

Runner-up

SkinSolutions is an online skin and hair care provider that centers on “bring[ing] the spa experience home to you.” The founders/owners are a husband-and-wife team who built and ran a successful brick-and-mortar medical spa over a decade ago. In 2013, they decided to move their practice online to service patients nationwide.

As the name suggests, SkinSolutions focuses its medical services on beauty treatments and medications for skin and hair. It’s an authorized reseller of Latisse, which the SkinSolutions doctors or nurse practitioners can write a new prescription for after an online consultation. Latisse can then be shipped to you via one of SkinSolution’s partner pharmacies (Beauty Empower RX or PostMeds/TruePill), or you can transfer your prescription to a local pharmacy of your choice.

SkinSolutions offers one-time purchases of Latisse, but it encourages subscriptions by discounting the price when you sign up for an ongoing delivery plan. The pricing differences are detailed in the chart below.

Do keep in mind that SkinSolutions charges you the cost for a subscription before your consultation is complete, whether or not you get approved for a Latisse prescription. The company will give you a refund, but you need to initiate it after the denial. This doesn’t occur if you only make a single purchase. We wish SkinSolutions was more like Ro or Hers with this and didn’t charge people until the prescription is actually approved.

As we discussed in our cost criterion at the beginning of this guide, you’ll need to adjust your 5mL subscription frequency from SkinSolutions’ recommendation of ten weeks to three months in order to really see savings. (This can be done before purchase or from your dashboard after the fact.)

Something interesting the company does is claim that the 5mL variety of Latisse is only a 10-week supply when the general consensus is that it’s a 3-month (12-week) supply. Going by SkinSolutions’ recommendation means you’d pay for the product five times a year and spend $670. Adjusting your subscription to every three months, like how Ro offers its 5mL Latisse, drops the price to $536 a year and saves you over $100.

While SkinSolutions may be the least expensive option for Latisse (under certain conditions), it’s important to note that single purchases don’t come with free shipping, which can increase your cost. Shipping rates vary based on product weight and where you live, so keep that in mind when shopping from SkinSolutions. Additionally, the company cannot fulfill Latisse prescriptions in Arkansas.

Honorable mention

Hers is a women-focused online healthcare provider that allows its patients to manage many of their basic, ongoing healthcare needs virtually. With a female-heavy medical advisory board, Hers has invested in ensuring that women are steering the company’s products and consumer experiences. Hers’ goal is to provide freedom, convenience, and accessibility when it comes to many women-specific healthcare needs.

The company currently provides services for:

• Mental health (various presentations of anxiety and depression)
• Hair care (shampoos, conditioners, vitamins, and prescriptions to prevent hair loss)
• Skin health (anti-aging, acne)
• Sexual health (birth control, yeast infection treatments)
• Primary care
• And more

Unlike Ro and SkinSolutions’ more unisex approach to offering Latisse, the prescription is only available through Hers — and not its male-centered sibling company, Hims. Men and masculine-presenting people can also suffer from eyelash hypotrichosis (too few lashes) or even just simply desire thicker, fuller eyelashes. We found this to feel a bit exclusionary, and it’s one of the reasons Hers (or, rather, Hims & Hers Health) didn’t earn our top pick for getting Latisse online at this time.

That aside, Hers has been our top recommendation at times in the past for Latisse, and we are generally very impressed by its services. But there are other reasons for Hers only receiving recognition as an honorable mention when it comes to Latisse. The two biggest reasons go hand-in-hand in some ways: transparency and cost. The product page for Hers’ Latisse has little to no information on it about available quantities, costs, potential consultation fees, and so on. This is in stark contrast to Ro’s thoroughly-detailed product page that gives you all of this information and more.

If you do decide to get Latisse through Hers, these are how the prices break down:

• 3mL: $115/month
• 5mL: $164/bi-monthly, $420/semi-annually, $720/yearly

Similar to SkinSolutions, Hers appears to label the 5mL variety of Latisse as less than a 3-month supply. If you opt for a bi-monthly Latisse prescription from Hers, the company will send you a refill every eight weeks. This means more frequent refills (and charges) than SkinSolutions' recommended auto-ship interval of ten weeks — which already appears to be more than necessary based on our research.

You would save money at Hers’ by going with a yearly charge, from about $984 down to $720, but this still pales in comparison to the yearly cost of 5mL quarterly-delivered options from Ro ($636) and SkinSolutions ($536).

A Hers Latisse subscription comes with a free initial consultation that takes less than 30 minutes. Shipping is free if you’re approved. Based on our testing, packages arrive in your mailbox in just a few days. Your subscription frequency can also be adjusted in your patient dashboard; you can snooze or cancel your subscription, alter delivery dates, or request a refill.

The alternative telehealth options for getting Latisse detailed in this section didn’t make it into our top picks for one reason or another, but they may still interest you (particularly if you’re interested in getting a generic).

Optum

This telehealth provider/online pharmacy offers both name-brand and generic Latisse. Generic bimatoprost prescriptions start at $70 per month, while name-brand Latisse options start at $115 per month (similar to Hers). The initial consultation and prescription delivery are free, but additional virtual visits cost $55. All three of our top picks have free follow-up visits (just at different intervals), so this $55 charge for further visits is what prevented Optum from being a top choice.

Amazon Pharmacy

If you already have a prescription for Latisse, either from a telehealth provider or your usual doctor, you can get generic and name-brand Latisse on Amazon. The name-brand variety runs much more expensive than our top picks, but the therapeutically-equivalent generic option is extremely inexpensive by comparison. Here’s how the prices break down:

• Latisse: 1-month supply $131.65
• Latisse: 3-month supply, $393.95
• Bimatoprost: 1-month supply, $36.50
• Bimatoprost: 3-month supply, $99.50

As you can see, the generic option from Amazon is by far the most cost-effective option — even in comparison to our top picks. What stops Amazon from earning a spot in our recommendations list is that it doesn’t offer prescriptions; you need to get one for Latisse elsewhere and transfer it over.

While many cosmetics on the market claim to help eyelash growth, it’s important to be cautious when purchasing anything that’s not FDA-approved. Latisse and its generic (bimatoprost) are the only FDA-approved options for enhancing eyelash growth. Several companies were previously in hot water with the FDA for including prostaglandin analogs (the class of drugs bimatoprost belongs to) in their cosmetic products,17 and some companies were even sued by consumers due to side effects.18 Unregulated, there is much greater potential for negative reactions.

For your own safety, it’s recommended by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) to be cautious of or avoid over-the-counter eyelash serums that contain prostaglandin analogs such as isopropyl cloprostenate (the most common one) or others.10

Some cosmetic eyelash serums with prostaglandin analogs include:

• GrandeLash
• R + F Lash Boost
• RevitaLash (contains the prostaglandin analog Dechloro Dihydroxy Difluoro Ethylcloprostenolamide)
• neuLash
• RapidLash
• Babe Lash
• Uklash Serum
• Lilash Eyelash Serum
• Flash Eyelash Serum

There are likely more out there, but the above list is a good starting point for products to be cautious about using. If you plan to try an over-the-counter eyelash serum, consider speaking with your doctor first.

For eyelash enhancers, the AAO recommends people stick with prescription Latisse or bimatoprost. Some other tips the AAO lists are to use gentle soap when washing your face and eyelids and to eat a healthy diet sufficient in iron to promote long, full eyelashes.10