You do if your eyelashes are “inadequate.”
And what woman feels eyelash-adequate after decades of mascara commercials?
Well, now there’s a medical solution to hypotrichosis: Latisse.
Do you love the mascara-commercial-genre of music?
What is amazing to me is how perfectly this commercial for prescription medication for inadequate eyelashes mimics mascara commercials. Consider this random example from youtube:
The line between health care and capitalist profiting off of instilled human insecurities: officially blurred.
Via Gin and Tacos.
UPDATE! In the comments thread, Nadine told this story:
Just got back from escorting my 86 yr old father to see a dermatologist. Every single female staffer was wearing a button that read “ask me about my lashes.” Evidently they’re giving freebies to staff to promote Latisse.
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Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Lisa Wade, PhD is an Associate Professor at Tulane University. She is the author of American Hookup, a book about college sexual culture; a textbook about gender; and a forthcoming introductory text: Terrible Magnificent Sociology. You can follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Comments 19
iz — July 21, 2009
I should totally use Latisse, I have a bunch of bald spots on my lash line.
Oh wait, that was from pulling them out after being driven rather insane by inane commercials.
Sanguinity — July 21, 2009
All the way through that commercial, I was thinking "Are you sure you're not selling mascara? Why not just sell mascara? Wait, she's got so much mascara on I can't tell what's mascara and what's not mascara. What gives, isn't mascara supposed to be able to do all that, too? I should buy some mascara."
Then I got to the stunning list of side-effects and thought, "Well, now I know how this product is different from mascara..."
In the end, I'm not sure it _isn't_ a mascara commercial: it mostly just made me want to buy mascara.
Dagmar — July 21, 2009
I find a number of things disturbing about Latisse &co.
First, they are taking a real medial issue (hypotrichosis) and making up a whole new definition! Hypotrichosis is applied to cases where there is NO hair growth (and there never was), not "too little". This is just another instance where marketers are tweaking the meaning of something to make it apply to a whole bunch of people who do not have anything wrong with them!
What also gets me are the steps being taken to enable people to change every little bit about their outward appearance. We've gone so far past tanning, hair dying and even plastic surgery, now you can become taller, change your eye color, the list goes on. There seems to be only one place to go, marketing products to change our very DNA.
I must say, though, that I hate this product most because (selfishly) those who are born with long, thick lashes will no longer be as unique. My eyelashes are different than most, and I like it that way, now, the only thing I will have over Latisse-users is knowing that mine are naturally curled. Besides, anyone who is so worried about fixing their eyelashes has much bigger issues to fix first.
Eneya — July 21, 2009
I can't see those comesrcials. I'm just seeng some empty white windows. :(
And this is not the first time that I can't see videos here.
I don't if the problems are in my computer or something elsce.
misti — July 21, 2009
this product was featured on consumerist.com because the editors there wanted to get word out that this product has a list of unusual side-effects including permanent darkening of the iris. That is: if you started out with blue eyes, they will turn brown. Permanently. It actually started out as a glaucoma cure but they had to pull it.
Here's a link to the consumerist column: http://consumerist.com/5165476/glaucoma-drug-might-grow-lashes-or-turn-your-blue-eyes-brown
Personally, If I had thin eye lashes and blue, green, purple, or grey eyes, I'd rather keep my eyes the right shade and wear false lashes.
Meep — July 21, 2009
Misti, that's terrifying. I don't even want to know how it changes one's eye color. Yeesh.
As for this hypotrichosis, whether it means no eyelashes where there never have been eyelashes (as Dagmar pointed out) or not enough eyelash, I can see how that would be a problem, considering the actual point of eyelashes (i.e., to keep dust and stuff out of the eye) not the culturally assigned meaning of eyelashes (i.e., "feminine").
nadine — July 22, 2009
Just got back from escorting my 86 yr old father to see a dermatologist. Every single female staffer was wearing a button that read 'ask me about my lashes'. Evidently they're giving freebies to staff to promote Latisse. I wish I'd known about the eye color changing thing.
In these troubled economic times, would you submit to a work sponsored advertising scheme that changed your eye color?
We have to go back for a follow up visit. I can't wait to find out more.
And yes, their lashes were lovely...but they were ALL wearing eye makeup - so who knows?
Sharon — July 22, 2009
After reading the comments above I am sad to see that so many people are against such a fabulous product! I have been on the Latisse for a little over 16 weeks now and LOVE it! As for the side effects.....the FDA required those side effects be printed on all the labels due to the fact that the product has the same active ingredient as the glaucoma med, Lumigan. The ONLY way that Latisse could change your iris color would be if you were putting the Latisse INTO your eyes.....If you follow the instructions and apply it to your Lash Line, you don't have to worry about Eye color change. ACTUALLY, the FDA has now said that Allergan can Remove that warning from their label...so it doesn't need to be worried about.
I LOVE the result I have gotten and yes, I do still wear mascara. But..I wear it as a personal preference, because it makes them look even Better!! I can go without Mascara though and look like I have it on!
The definition I found for Hypotrichosis was:
hypotrichosis /hy·po·tri·cho·sis/ (-trĭ-ko´sis) presence of less than the normal amount of hair.
Dorland's Medical Dictionary for Health Consumers. © 2007 by Saunders, an imprint of Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved.
So, it doesn't sound to me like they have taken a - "...real medial issue (hypotrichosis) and making up a whole new definition!"
Nadine, when you take your father back to the dermatologist ask the staff if they did any personal before and after pictures...I did without makeup on and the difference is awesome!! It is truly a great product.
When you read about the studies that were done with Latisse, 100% of people had results! It works!
I had nice lashes before, but now they are fabulous! I get so many compliments on them!
I say, read up on more than one site and see how people are liking it before you make your judgement based on these comments!!
JennyM — July 22, 2009
Does anyone else think that Sharon works for Latisse?
Just a thought.
The medicalization of being normal continues! Urgh.
Sharon — July 22, 2009
Cute thought Jenny!
I figured that you would all think that, but I do not work for Latisse. I am just a very please and educated customer of theirs and felt that you were all bashing this product without knowing everything about it.
I was just adding some positive input on the product for your followers.
rachel — July 23, 2009
This hypotrichosis...i suppose it is a very real disease that only women get, am I right? Because everyone in the Latisse commercial is a woman?
As for the Latisse testimonial, I'm not even going to touch that one. I would hate to write what I really think due to the possibility that Sharon very truly might not be a Latisse salesman. I mean, salesperson.
Luey — July 23, 2009
Dagmar, my heart, it bleeds for you :)
(I have similar selfish thoughts about breast enhancement - I came by mine naturally, darn it!)
Pathologizing the Pretty « we are the REAL deal — July 25, 2009
[...] PDRTJS_settings_94953_post_660 = { "id" : "94953", "unique_id" : "wp-post-660", "title" : "Pathologizing+the+Pretty", "item_id" : "_post_660", "permalink" : "http%3A%2F%2Fwatrd.wordpress.com%2F2009%2F07%2F23%2Fpathologizing-the-pretty%2F" } Did you know that “inadequate or not enough lashes” is a medical condition now? It’s true! Just check out this commercial for Latisse, which I found over at the brilliant Sociological Images. [...]
Jenn — August 6, 2009
@ Sharon
If you think the Latisse isn't going to get into your eyes, you're kidding yourself.
The End Days « Millicent and Carla Fran — September 27, 2009
[...] some very good chat about the marketing and product at the NYTimes, Sociological Images, and Gin and [...]
Kelly — February 7, 2010
Latisse darkened my eyes. I'm so sad because I had beautiful eyes. It is not worth it. I cannot believe what this world is coming to. If there were no iris darkening side effects, I would be living this depressing nightmare.
Sal — September 3, 2010
"Does anyone else think that Sharon works for Latisse?"
I don't. Cognitive dissonance in action and sheer stupidity are both, imho, a much better explanations.
Stephie — September 4, 2010
So not only do we have to wear make-up all over our faces, and make-up all over our bodies in the form of fake tan (which are thoroughly waxed and plucked), and paint our nails perfectly.....now we have to grow more eyelashes? Jeez, what's next? Earlobe enhancement??
This is utterly depressing.
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