> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hi-doctor.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Bimatoprost
> Bimatoprost has three separate stories — eye drops, eyelashes and scalp hair — and only two of them are authorised anywhere. Here is what applies to which.
Bimatoprost is easy to mix up because it has three separate stories. As an eye drop it is authorised across the EU to treat glaucoma. As an eyelash serum it is approved in some markets outside the EU. Used on the scalp for pattern hair loss, it is neither — Hi-Doctor's doctors do not prescribe it for that.
## What it is
Authorised across the EU under the brand Lumigan to lower pressure inside
the eye in glaucoma and ocular hypertension.
A liquid brushed onto the upper eyelid, approved in some markets outside
the EU — sold as Latisse in the United States — to treat inadequate
eyelashes.
Off-label and still investigational for pattern hair loss. It has no
marketing authorisation for that use anywhere, and Hi-Doctor does not
prescribe it for hair loss.
Bimatoprost has no EU marketing authorisation for scalp hair loss. It may be
an approved medicine for something else, or approved in another country — but
not something a doctor here can prescribe for this.
## How it works
Bimatoprost is a man-made version of a natural body substance called a
prostaglandin. In the eye it helps fluid drain away, so pressure inside the
eye falls. On the eyelid it is thought to lengthen the growing phase of the
eyelash hair cycle.
## What the studies reported
Every NCT identifier links to its ClinicalTrials.gov record. A readout is not
the same as a peer-reviewed publication.
The only trial behind bimatoprost's use on the scalp is registry-posted
results from a single six-month phase 2 study ([NCT01904721](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01904721),
bimatoprost in men with androgenetic alopecia). The public record labels the
concentrations only as "Solution 1" and "Solution 2" — there is no published,
peer-reviewed readout, and bimatoprost holds no marketing authorisation for
scalp hair loss in the EU or anywhere else.
## What has been reported
These figures come from the EU-authorised **eye-drop** formulation (Lumigan),
not from scalp use — there is no equivalent safety data for the scalp.
| Reported with the eye drop (Lumigan) | Frequency |
| --------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Conjunctival hyperaemia (red eyes) | About 29% in a 12-month phase III study of Lumigan 0.1 mg/ml, mostly trace to mild |
| Prostaglandin analogue periorbitopathy (changes around the eye) | Very common, per the Lumigan product information |
| Eyelid redness | Common |
| Eyelid itching | Common |
| Eyelash growth | Common |
## Available hair-growth alternatives
Because bimatoprost is not an option here, Hi-Doctor's doctors review every
case against the treatments that do have EU authorisation for hair loss:
A 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor taken daily. A doctor may prescribe it after
reviewing your history and ruling out contraindications.
Low-dose, used off-label by some dermatologists. Requires close medical
supervision for potential cardiovascular effects.
Solution or foam applied directly to the scalp. Can be combined with other
actives in a compounded formulation.
A more potent 5-alpha-reductase inhibitor. Reserved for specific cases,
always under medical evaluation. See the [dutasteride page](/library/medicines/dutasteride).
An individualised preparation that can combine finasteride, minoxidil,
tretinoin, or other actives, compounded by pharmacies after a medical
prescription.
## How Hi-Doctor handles it
A licensed doctor decides case by case and never prescribes without an
evaluation. For bimatoprost specifically, that means reviewing your hair
growth questionnaire and proposing an equivalent treatment that does hold EU
authorisation — such as [topical minoxidil](/library/medicines/regaine) — rather
than issuing a prescription for bimatoprost itself. See [how a consultation
works](/essentials/how-it-works) and the [treatment areas](/essentials/treatments)
Hi-Doctor covers.
## Sources
* EMA EPAR — Lumigan (bimatoprost eye drops), EMEA/H/C/000391, authorised in
the EU for glaucoma and ocular hypertension
* EMA — Lumigan product information (SmPC)
* FDA label — LATISSE (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.03%, indicated for
hypotrichosis of the eyelashes (US only)
* ClinicalTrials.gov — [NCT01904721](https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT01904721),
bimatoprost in men with androgenetic alopecia (results)
## Start a consultation
Answer the hair-growth questionnaire and a registered doctor reviews it.
They decide whether treatment is appropriate, which one, and at what dose —
and declining is a normal outcome. See [what it costs](/essentials/pricing)
and [how the review works](/essentials/how-it-works).
This page is reference information, not medical advice and not a prescription.
Whether a medicine is appropriate for you is decided by a registered doctor
after reviewing your consultation.