A drug which treats the eye disease glaucoma may become an alternative to mascara. Lumigan, sometimes also known as Bimatoprost, is a drug which is used to help combat glaucoma and recently it has been found that one of the side-effects of the drug is that eyelash growth doubles. The side-effects are so profound that the makers of the drug have applied for a cosmetic license in America.

The drug normally comes in the form of a gel. Researchers noticed that during a trial, patients who had glaucoma in just one eye had the eye lashes in that eye grow significantly thicker, longer and darker. A more detailed analysis found that eyelashes that had been treated with the gel grew around 2mm in 6 weeks, around twice as long as those who has used a dummy solution.

At present, researchers are not sure why the drug has this effect on the lashes. Bimatoprost works on glaucomas by lowering the build-up of pressure which can cause blindness.

The makers of the drug are now researching the drug further with the hope that they can help a wider range of people, including those who have alopecia or other hair growth issues,