CONTACT LENS FOCUS

ENHANCING NATURAL BEAUTY

SUBTLE EYE-ENHANCING CONTACT LENS DELIVERS BIG IMPACT

WHAT IS it that makes someone attractive? A lot of people might say “nice eyes,” but a recent study from the University of California at Irvine found that, more specifically, it’s the limbal ring of the eyes that people notice.

Eye-enhancing contact lenses are getting attention in the U.S. To meet this demand, I have incorporated 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE brand contact lenses, from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., into my portfolio.

OVERVIEW

The DEFINE lenses work by using iris-inspired designs with an outer darker limbal ring imprinted on them. When patients wear the lenses, contrast is created between the iris and the sclera — along with an inner translucent lights-effect pattern.

With 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE brand contact lenses, wearers can add depth and definition without changing their natural eye color. The result is a much more natural-looking product that patients are readily embracing.

There are three varieties that help the wearer experience personalized results: NATURAL SPARKLE, NATURAL SHIMMER, and NATURAL SHINE. What patients love is that the lenses look different on each person.

FITTING AND CHAIR TIME

We have posters in the office that are meant to pique our patients’ interest, but we always bring the lenses up in the exam room. Recently, I was telling one patient about the lenses and she asked whether they were the ones from the poster in the waiting room. She expressed that she had hoped I would tell her she was a candidate for them. That resonated with me — that she was waiting for me to say something first. As practitioners, it is our job to be proactive in making recommendations.

The fittings do not take long. I tell patients I have a lens that will make their natural eye color look more vibrant — would they want to try them? If they have blue eyes, I pull SPARKLE; if they have medium eye color I pull SHIMMER; and if they have dark eyes I pull SHINE. Some patients ask to take the lenses home and decide after they get the opinion of family members or friends. That’s fine with us. In fact, it’s not uncommon for us to gain new patients just from existing patients showing off their enhancement lenses.

PRACTICE BENEFITS

One of the biggest benefits we’ve seen since introducing these lenses has been this aura of goodwill and excitement at the office. Patients have fun trying them on and may ask other patients in the waiting room or even other staff members to weigh in on what they think. That generates curiosity from other patients. They may also post a photo to social media, which, in turn, garners even more referrals. Even if they don’t end up purchasing the lenses, that sense of fun keeps patients happy and loyal to our office. They leave feeling like we are a proactive practice that is keeping up with the latest technology.

Of course, the profitability is also there. The lenses are more profitable than other spherical disposable lenses, and they’re worth the chair time, even if some patients are passing. At our practice, we’ve found them to be incredibly beneficial.

TRY IT ON

When discussing the effects of the lenses to patients, I like to call them “Instagram for the Eyes.” It’s essentially an instant, natural-looking touch up. Not only do these lenses make the eyes look more youthful and less tired, but they also make them look whiter. They will make blue eyes brighter, green eyes sparkle and brown eyes more intense. Who wouldn’t want that? OM

PATRICIA POMA-NOWINSKI, O.D., practices at Birmingham Vision Care in Bloomfield Township, Mich. She is a paid consultant to Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc. Visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment on this article.