Have You Prescribed Bimatoprost?

Hi Dr. Rassman,

From reading your blog, I understand you are very skeptical about bimatoprost for treating MPB, but I was wondering if you have ever had a patient that has experienced positive results by using it or seen first hand what the drug can do when applied to a thinning area on the scalp?

From what I have read it is not a miracle drug but some men with only a bit of thinning seemed to have seen some benefits from it.

Have you ever prescribed generic bimatoprost to any of your patients? If not, would you consider doing so in the future?

Just to get everyone up to speed, bimatoprost is also known as Latisse, which is FDA approved to grow eyelashes. I have met with a couple patients who have tried it on their own for treating their MPB, but both claim it didn’t work. Maybe they didn’t use an effective dosage or didn’t use it for a sufficient length of time, but that information is still unknown. Actually, there are many unknowns when it comes to using this medication for regrowth on the scalp. I would hope there would be more research and different formulations for scalp delivery.

Price is a big factor for bimatoprost right now. The medication is very expensive for a small quantity (since it’s sold for treating eyelashes), and that has made it relatively impractical to prescribe for treating balding areas on the scalp. It isn’t available in the US as a generic for at least a few more years due to patent law protection, so that will keep the costs higher for those wanting to experiment on the scalp. Keep in mind I’m not suggesting anyone should be a guinea pig.

So while I haven’t prescribed it for treating MPB, I’d consider prescribing it in the future if it was proven to be safe and effective. Really though, that could apply to any medication that meets my standards.