The Eyelashes Have It

Now you, too, can look like a camel.

I have long eyelashes. People have commented on them since I was a child. Every now and then people will actually stop me on the street and mention them. Or at least stop me when I'm talking with them. A few years ago, I was fascinated to learn that camels also have long eyelashes, the better to keep sand out of their eyes during long treks in the desert. Considering how much time I've spent on camels in the last few years, I've tried to use this shared anatomical oddity to my advantage on several occasions.

But long eyelashes are now within reach for everyone!

Doctors and patients alike have noticed that eyelash growth is a side effect of a glaucoma drug called Lumigan, sold by California drug maker Allergan Inc. That phenomenon has set off a race among cosmetics companies to create new eyelash treatments that contain either bimatoprost -- the active ingredient in Lumigan -- or other so-called prostaglandins found in glaucoma drugs.

The eyelash products look like mascara tubes and have a brush or tip for applying the product along the base of the lashes, and typically sell for $140 to $160 in spas and doctors' offices. At the same time, some doctors are writing Lumigan prescriptions for their cosmetic patients, a practice allowed because a drug may be prescribed for any use once it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for one use.

But the companies pushing into this arena are already facing two big fights: one with each other, the other with the FDA.