Bidwell Health

Can You Use Latisse® With Contact Lenses?

Contact-lens wearers may be candidates for Latisse® or generic bimatoprost, but they should remove lenses before applying the medication and wait at least 15 minutes before reinserting them.

Medically reviewed by Bidwell Cranage, APRN, FNP-C · Last updated 2026-05-27

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What is the basic rule?

Remove contact lenses before applying bimatoprost to the upper-lid lash line. Wait at least 15 minutes before reinserting lenses. This reduces direct medication and preservative exposure to the contact lens and eye surface.

Does wearing contacts disqualify me?

No. Contact-lens use alone is not a Bidwell screen-out. The screen-out is active eye irritation, infection, unexplained redness, pain, vision changes, or an eye-disease history that needs eye-clinician review before starting bimatoprost.

What if my eyes are dry or irritated?

Do not start through an online cosmetic workflow if your eyes are currently painful, unusually red, light-sensitive, infected, or changing vision. Contact lenses can make irritation harder to interpret, and eye symptoms deserve proper evaluation.

What application habits help?

What if lenses feel uncomfortable after starting?

If contact lenses feel newly uncomfortable after starting bimatoprost, pause lens wear and message the clinician. Do not keep applying through worsening redness, foreign-body sensation, discharge, pain, or blurry vision. Those symptoms can represent irritation or infection and need eye-care judgment.

Can I apply it while wearing lenses if I am careful?

No. The cleaner counseling rule is to remove lenses first every time. Waiting at least 15 minutes before reinserting gives the medication time to settle and reduces exposure of the lens to the solution or preservative.

References

  1. DailyMed: Latisse (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.03%
  2. FDA prescribing information: Latisse
  3. Long-term safety evaluation of bimatoprost 0.03%
  4. JAMA Ophthalmology: Latisse-induced periocular skin hyperpigmentation

Related Bidwell pages

Latisse® is a registered trademark of AbbVie. Bidwell Health is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by AbbVie. Bidwell does not sell or ship Latisse.