Yes. “Lash serums can work, but their effectiveness depends on the active ingredients in the formula,” says Rachel Westbay, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at Marmur Medical in New York City. The most effective include a prostaglandin analogue (PGA) called bimatoprost, an FDA-approved ingredient that extends the growth phase and effectively increases length.
“Latisse, for instance, is clinically proven to make lashes longer, darker, and thicker,” says Dr. Westbay. While it requires a prescription, there are over-the-counter options that contain lower levels of prostaglandin (RevitaLash and GrandeLash-MD are among them), though their safety and efficacy aren’t as well studied.
Other serums on the market, like Vegamour, do not contain prostaglandins. While they may be less effective at thickening and lengthening, they can still help condition, strengthen, and improve the overall health of your lashes.
The time it takes to see if your serum works depends on the active ingredients in its formula, as well as your hair-growth cycle,” says Dr. Westbay.
- For serums with prostaglandin analogues, some increased length is expected at four weeks, but full effects take 12 to 16 weeks to see. If you stop using it, your lashes will return to normal over the following months as they shed.
- For peptide-based serums, you can expect reduced shedding in six to eight weeks, but it may take up to 12 weeks to see improvement in fullness.
- For conditioning and hydrating serums, you may see an increase in health and shine in two to four weeks.
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