A New Value Proposition
Eye enhancement in a lens that’s safe and comfortable for everyday wear offers practice growth potential.
Located in the Soho neighborhood of New York City, optometrist Michael Chernich’s practice at LensCrafters attracts a diverse and discerning population. “My patients are well-educated consumers,” he says. “They’re interested in the newest and best technology, but they’re not taken in by something just because it’s the latest trend. They want real value in the products they buy.”
In a contact lens, real value usually encompasses eye health, vision, comfort and convenience. “I tell my patients there’s no such thing as a best contact lens,” Dr. Chernich says. “There’s a best contact lens for each person, and we uncover what that lens is during the examination.”
Dr. Chernich recently started fitting the 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE™ lens, which adds another feature — eye enhancement — to the value criteria.
Not A Color Contact Lens
“For the first time in my 11-year professional career, I feel comfortable recommending a cosmetic lens for everyday wear,” Dr. Chernich says.
The DEFINE™ lens is based on the 1-DAY ACUVUE® MOIST platform. It’s made from etafilcon A material with LACREON® in an 8.5 mm base curve and has the same water content, diameter, center thickness, oxygen transmissibility and UV protection.*† Rather than being printed on the surface of the lens, the design pattern is enclosed within it, allowing for a smooth, lubricious surface.
“In my experience, the 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE™ lens delivers the same comfort as the 1-DAY MOIST lens,” Dr. Chernich says. “In addition, the pigmentary pattern of the lens doesn’t restrict vision through a small, artificial pupil.”
Doctors Can Be Doctors
Dr. Chernich notes the 1-DAY ACUVUE® DEFINE™ lens, although considered an eye enhancement lens, doesn’t diminish his role as an eye care professional. “I think some optometrists are uncomfortable being fashion consultants,” he says. “But the DEFINE™ lens is designed to enhance the natural features of the eyes, and who knows more about the anatomy of the eye than an optometrist? We’re not providing a fashion opinion. We’re providing suggestions based on our clinical knowledge of the eye.”
One downside to color contact lenses has been the time it takes patients to decide among color choices. “This isn’t an issue with the DEFINE™ lens,” Dr. Chernich says. “The three options, NATURAL SPARKLE™, NATURAL SHIMMER™ and NATURAL SHINE™, aren’t colors but levels of enhancement. I recommend a design, based on the features of the patient’s eyes. What’s interesting about this lens is that it brings out the natural color of the eyes. A blue eye looks bluer, a brown eye appears a richer brown, but the eyes still look natural. When fitting Natural Sparkle on three different blue eyes, I’ve noticed the effect is different because the natural irises are different.”
Practice Growth Potential
To spark interest in DEFINE™ lenses, Dr. Chernich encourages his staff to wear them. “Often, patients ask me about the lenses my technician is wearing before I even begin the examination,” he says. In fact, Dr. Chernich himself wears DEFINE™ lenses and says that, even though practitioners may assume the lens is for women, he does have some male patients who wear them, too.
When patients try the DEFINE™ lens in Dr. Chernich’s office, he suggests they post pictures on Facebook or Instagram. “When they tell their friends they’re trying the new DEFINE™ lens at Dr. Chernich’s office at LensCrafters in Soho, they get immediate feedback, and I get immediate publicity. It’s a great way to co-brand the lens with my practice, and generate referrals.”
Dr. Chernich believes the DEFINE™ lens offers several practice growth opportunities. “By introducing patients to a new category of contact lens, I may be able to satisfy an unmet need while also positioning myself as a leader in the profession,” he says.
Dr. Chernich believes untapped potential exists among people who wear spectacles and even people who don’t need vision correction but may be interested in the youthful look created by the DEFINE™ lens.
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“The success of the DEFINE™ lens for any practitioner won’t be in the discussion, but in actually fitting the lens on a patient’s eyes,” Dr. Chernich says. “The moment people apply this lens, they typically see more youthful-looking eyes. It doesn’t change who they are. It just enhances how they look.” ■