AESTHETICS

HELP PATIENTS LOOK THEIR BEST

BY BEING PART AESTHETICIAN, YOU CAN INCREASE PATIENT SATISFACTION AND PRACTICE REVENUES

Mark E. Schaeffer, O.D., Birmingham, Ala.

AS AN OPTOMETRIST, you’re not only an astute clinician, you’re also the purveyor of treatments and products that can enhance one’s physical appearance. Showing patients the latter can have a profound positive effect on your practice revenue and patient satisfaction, as consumers place a great deal of value on services that enhance the way they look.

Here’s a look at the areas that fall under aesthetics and how to educate patients about the products and treatments you offer that will make them look “good.”

EYEWEAR

Although the purpose of glasses is refractive correction, tons of people buy non-prescription glasses, in addition to sunwear, because they like how spectacles make them look. Famous actors, athletes and musicians have inspired this through their use of glasses as a fashion accessory.

To educate your patients about how the frames you offer can enhance their personal appearance, introduce them to your optical staff, who should be well versed in frame styling, or the ability to match one’s prescription, lifestyle, face shape and skin tone to the “perfect” frame. (See “The 5 Rules of Frame Styling,” p. 24)

What to say: “Jane, this is Susan, one of our opticians; she’s an expert at frame styling, so she can help you choose a pair of glasses and sunwear that will not only provide you with crisp vision, but also bring out your best features and match your personality.”

This dialog is particularly important for child and presbyopic patients. When it comes to children, looking “cool” is paramount to them. The handoff is equally important because it transitions the patient from thinking about medical care to thinking more about fashion and style. With regard to presbyopic patients who can’t wear contact lenses, they fear “readers,” also known as “granny glasses.” Your optician can educate these apprehensive patients that digital progressive free-form lenses allow for easy adaptation and crisp vision sans that bifocal line and are available with youthful-looking frames to match.

A smooth transition from clinical to optical also allows your practice to maintain the delicate balance of providing valuable medical and aesthetics services.

OPHTHALMIC LENSES

While we, as optometrists, think of ophthalmic lenses as vision-correction devices, we must remember that multi-colored lens coats and specialized lenses exist for the sole purpose of enhancing one’s appearance.

For example, when a patient presents to your practice complaining of eye strain, squinting from glare and fatigue (resulting in bags under his or her eyes) from long work hours, in addition to educating the patient on how a computer, anti-glare or blue-light lens can benefit his or her vision, you can also explain how the lens will prevent the physical signs of squinting and fatigue.

What to say: “Mark, I believe the reason you are having these symptoms and signs is because you work on a computer 50+ hours per week. The computer screen gives off blue light, which is not only bright, but also negatively affects your circadian rhythm. Your circadian rhythm enables your body to release melatonin, which tells the body when it’s time for sleep.

“By wearing blue-light coated lenses, your eyes will no longer be tired, your circadian rhythm will reset, and you’ll no longer squint or have bags under your eyes. As a result, this is what I’m prescribing for you.”

CONTACT LENSES

While certain refractive errors, such as keratoconus, require contact lens wear, many patients become interested in this form of refractive correction because, historically, glasses tend to make the wearer look older, some patients want to hide their diplopia or disfigured eyes and others — millennials, in particular — love the idea of changing up their look by altering their eye color.

For example, most presbyopic patients, particularly those who have been wearing contact lenses, prefer to wear multifocal contact lenses vs. “readers” or progressive ophthalmic lenses. Also, presbyopic patients who have never had to wear glasses before may prefer contact lens wear to maintain their current appearance.

What to say: “Stephanie, your eye exam reveals you have presbyopia, which is a form of farsightedness that typically occurs in middle age. As a result, you’re going to need a reading prescription.

“Many patients in this position can succeed in multifocal contact lenses because they provide that reading prescription without sacrificing their distance vision, enabling them to avoid reading glasses, which many feel makes them look older. Would you like to try them?”

Some patients may have conditions that create an altered cosmetic state or cause diplopia. These patients may benefit from cosmetic lenses to help occlude or color the iris to appear more like the fellow eye. In these patients, the doctor needs to be able to recommend different contact lenses to help the patient achieve a more symmetric look between the two eyes.

What to Say: “Hello David, I see that you have some issues with one of your eyes working with the other. We can help mask this problem with a cosmetic contact lens that makes the eye look more like the other one. Is this something that you would like to pursue?”

Research reveals that millennials (those born between 1982 and 1997) are interested in colored contact lenses. Currently, several contact lenses are available to alter or enhance one’s eye color.

What to say: “Allie, after talking with you about your lens wear and personality, I know you like to have a variety of looks. We provide colored contact lenses and color-enhancing contact lenses to enable you to do this. They not only look really cool, they’re also safe for your eyes, which is why I offer them. Would you like to try a pair?”

LASHES

Thanks to the availability of bimatoprost ophthalmic solution 0.03% (Latisse, Allergan), optometrists in certain states (contact your state board to see whether it falls under your scope of practice) have the authority to prescribe this eyelash-enhancing drug to their patients.

Apparently, long eyelashes are highly coveted. In fact, a recent article in “The New York Times” reveals eyelash extension emporiums have popped up in New York and Los Angeles to meet this demand. Some of their names: Wink Lash Studio & Blowout Bar and Eye Do Lashes.

The best way to prompt your patients to talk about this is to keep pamphlets and video loops playing in your waiting room. Most patients know about the product, but keeping literature around will spark more interest. You can certainly initiate the conversation by inquiring about their knowledge of the product.

What to say: “Sarah, I want to tell you about a product called Latisse. Are you interested in lengthening your eyelashes? Latisse is a safe topical medication that has been proven to help your eyelashes grow. Of course, there are some side effects with prolonged use, including increased pigmentation of skin and iris.”

RED EYE TREATMENTS

While any red eye can be a cause for alarm for a patient, it can also be embarrassing, as it’s unsightly. Regardless of whether the redness is due to a subconjunctival hemorrhage or a corneal ulcer, educate patients that you, not a primary care doctor, urgent care, or a doc-in-the-box, have the skills and prescribing rights to return that red eye to normal via drops, oral medications, amniotic membranes and more.

What to say: “Frank, thanks for seeing me today. I want you to know that in addition to providing comprehensive eye exams, I also diagnose and treat ocular issues, such as dry eye disease, glaucoma and something very common — red eye, which can occur from an irritant or an infection. Red eye can be particularly troubling when one has a social event or business meeting on the calendar. To get your eye back to normal as fast as possible, give me a call when you start to notice any changes. The earlier we know about it, the sooner we can get you back to normal.”

MORE THAN AN EYE DOCTOR

The impact you, as an optometrist, can have on one’s appearance is often overlooked. Make your patients aware of this through education, as illustrated above, and they will make you a member of their glam squad. OM

MARK E. SCHAEFFER, O.D., a University of Georgia graduate, received his doctorate from Southern College of Optometry in May 2011. He completed a residency in Ocular Disease at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, Fla. Dr. Schaeffer practices at Schaeffer Eye Center, a 16-location, 23-doctor practice in Birmingham, Ala. He is a member of the AOA, AAO, Sports Vision Section and Ocular Surface Society of Optometry. He has lectured on ocular disease and refractive technology across the country. He is a consultant on behalf of: Allergan, Optovue and BioTissue.