contact lens focus

Bring a Sparkle to the Eyes

Contact lens enhances eyes’ natural beauty

ROBERT ROSENTHAL, O.D.

Roughly 41% of contact lens wearers expressed a strong interest in purchasing a contact lens that enhances the natural beauty of their eyes, revealed the results of the 2013 Gallup Study of the U.S. Consumer Contact Lens Market.

To meet that need, I recently began prescribing 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE Brand Contact Lenses with LACREON Technology, from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

Overview

These lenses don’t change the patient’s eye color, but rather are designed to enhance and define it in a very natural-looking and beautiful way. They are available in plano and in vision correction ranges from +1.00 to –9.00 with a base curve of 8.5mm and a diameter of 14.2mm.

The lenses come in three effects of increasing intensity: NATURAL SPARKLE, NATURAL SHIMMER and NATURAL SHINE. Each design features a dark outer limbal ring that enhances contrast between the iris and sclera, along with highlights and shading that create definition and add depth. The pigments enclosed within the lenses are translucent, so the wearer’s natural iris can shine through.

Fitting and chair time

We pique interest from our patients by having our staff mention the new lenses at check-in and provide brochures in the waiting room. Once in the exam room, I tell patients I have a new type of lens that will make their eyes look brighter and more awake, and I recommend they try them — these lenses need to be tried to be believed.

To keep chair time to a minimum, a good rule of thumb is to start with NATURAL SPARKLE for patients with light blue or green eyes, NATURAL SHIMMER for patients who have light brown or hazel eyes and NATURAL SHINE for those who have dark eyes. The chair time compared with other lenses is insignificantly different with this approach. A practice pearl: Patients will best appreciate the effects of the lenses in a room that has good, natural light. Also, for those patients who need extra time to decide, we send them home with the effect they choose and a clear lens so they can compare at home.

Practice benefits and ROI

Transitioning patients to these lenses is easy. The performance of 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE Brand is similar to the 1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST Brand Contact Lenses with regard to comfort, health and vision parameters. I introduce 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE as a primary lens for patients. I find that even patients who initially intend to use this lens as an add-on or secondary enhancement are typically so excited with its results, it becomes their primary correction.

The DEFINE lenses come in three colors to enhance varying eye colors.

Adding the beauty dimension to my practice has been rewarding — and a lot of fun. I love seeing the reaction of patients, and it’s always great to have something new and exciting to talk about that expands the appeal of contact lenses to a new demographic of people who might not have been previously interested. In my view, anything that puts a smile on patients’ faces and gets them positively talking about me to their friends is a benefit to the practice.

In fact, I have received multiple referrals from patients fit in the DEFINE lenses. The best ROI is the excitement and enthusiastic referrals of the friends and family of my patients. OM

DR. ROSENTHAL IS IN PRIVATE PRACTICE IN NEWTOWN, PA. HE IS A CONSULTANT FOR JOHNSON & JOHNSON VISION CARE, INC., WHICH PROVIDED EDITORIAL ASSISTANCE WITH THIS ARTICLE. VISIT TINYURL.COM/OMCOMMENT TO COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE.