DEFINING A NEW MARKET FOR YOUR PRACTICE

HOW THIS SKEPTIC BECAME A BELIEVER IN THE VALUE OF EYE-ENHANCING CONTACT LENSES

JOHN P. BOSCIA, O.D.

INTEREST IN color contact lenses has been on the decline for years, at least among my patients. So, when I first heard about new eye-enhancing contact lenses, I wasn’t very enthusiastic.

However, once I began fitting 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE Brand Contact Lenses with LACREON Technology, I quickly realized that this lens represents an entirely new concept — one that is very appealing to patients. Rather than changing the color of the eyes, the lens adds depth and definition to the iris, enhancing its natural beauty. There is some interesting science behind how the lens makes eyes look more attractive and youthful (see Spotlight on Science, p. 26). The effect is individual and personal, depending on the wearer’s eye color and the intensity of the chosen effect.

Figure 1: 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE Brand is offered in a 30 pack and 90 pack.

These lenses have brought a sense of fun and excitement to my practice, as well as financial benefits. They are a great add-on to habitual lens prescriptions, resulting in incremental revenue for the practice. Here are a few tips on how to fit this lens successfully.

IDENTIFY YOUR TARGET PATIENT

In our experience, women in their 30s who are already established contact lens wearers are most likely to be excited about trying this lens, especially if they are wearing makeup or are fashionably dressed. However, they certainly aren’t the only potential candidates. We’ve had success in all these groups:

• College students.

• Men who are already wearing a daily disposable.

• People who have a career or lifestyle that requires looking and feeling their best (i.e., lawyers, sales people).

For all your patients, set expectations for the lens: the cosmetic benefit is initially subtle, and some patients may notice differences in comfort and vision as they accommodate from their habitual lens.

STAY IN YOUR COMFORT ZONE

I elect to introduce the lenses to all viable candidates, ignoring gender, age and race. I highlight the fact that the technology projects a more youthful appearance, and this comment usually piques the interest of many patients.

Figure 2: The impact of a darker limbal ring and enhanced iris features with NATURAL SHIMMER can be seen above.

I’ve always taken a conversational, interactive approach to exams. As I am evaluating the anterior segment at the biomicroscope, it’s very natural to mention how interesting the iris anatomy is and what it looks like under high magnification. Then I ask, “Did you know we have a new contact lens that enhances the beauty of the iris?” That starts the conversation.

If the patient is interested, I explain how a faded limbal ring and deposits in the sclera give the eyes a more aged appearance, and how the lenses better define the limbal ring and enhance the contrast between the iris and the whites of their eyes, like the bright eyes of a child. That’s something people can easily relate to.

I’m also comfortable recommending the lens because it has more going for it than just good looks. I like that the pigment is fully enclosed inside the lens polymer; it doesn’t come into contact with the eyelid or ocular surface or affect the material properties. And, as a daily disposable, it offers convenience and other health benefits that make it easy to recommend.

INVOLVE THE STAFF

Success with this lens starts with the staff. Before we fit this lens on patients, my staff of 12 and I tried all the effects ourselves and discussed how to present them to patients. There was a tremendous amount of excitement among the staff, and many still wear the lenses to work and talk about their experience with patients. One staff member who has astigmatism and opts for the eye-enhancement lenses for special occasions has encouraged many patients to get an “extra” box of the lenses, just for fun, on top of their annual supply.

Because our employees are enthusiastic and like to show off whichever variant they are wearing in the office, it is quite common for patients to come in asking me about it.

LIMIT YOUR CHAIR TIME

Perfecting the handoff is key. It takes little time for me to introduce and field questions about the lenses during the exam, but then I let staff take over. I have designated one of our contact lens technicians, Anne, as our “beauty expert.” If the patient is interested in the lenses, I hand off the patient to Anne, who then fits the patient with trial pairs of the three lens options. Other staffers often join in, commenting on which one looks best. We often have patients go out to the front office to see the lenses in natural light, which is optimal. That can create buzz in the waiting room, and get other patients interested.

Remember, when choosing someone as your “beauty expert,” make sure that individual is adept at insertion and removal and has a great patient manner. Anne isn’t a “hard sale” type of person. She’s sincere and honest, and patients really respond to her. If she sees they aren’t very intrigued, or if the effect of the lenses isn’t as dramatic as they had hoped, she doesn’t push, but will just say, “Well, aren’t you glad you tried it?” It’s a positive, fun experience for patients, and whether they buy the lenses or not, they take that sense of fun with them and tell friends about the experience.

NOTHING TO LOSE

I think we have nothing to lose and much to gain by bringing new products into our practices that generate great word-of-mouth and a sense of excitement. It’s even better when those new products encourage patients to take the leap into healthy daily disposable lens wear.

By identifying good candidates, involving staff, and being attuned to patients’ interests, anyone can position these lenses as a practice builder. OM

Spotlight on Science

Design Principles and the Science of Attraction

MEREDITH JANSEN, O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O.

1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE Brand Contact Lenses with LACREON Technology were inspired by insights from Asia, where the beauty contact lens category makes up 18% of the overall contact lens market. Asian patients tend to have smaller horizontal iris diameters than Caucasians. Additionally, Asian patients who have narrow palpebral fissures have long been interested in making their eyes look bigger and brighter. We thought they were on to something important. The scientific literature shows that not only do eyes play a major role in human attraction and communication, but that specific features of the eyes, including white sclera and dark limbal rings, are particularly relevant.

Humans are unique in having white sclera. Because of this, the contrast between the sclera and the iris makes direction of gaze more evident, helping people communicate with each other.¹ Whiter sclera is considered a sign of youth, health and attractiveness.^2,3

The limbal ring, which marks the border of the iris with the sclera, is thickest in infants and gradually gets thinner with age.⁴ Researchers at the University of California-Irvine assessed the impact of the limbal ring on perceptions of attractiveness. When shown otherwise identical photos of male and female faces with dark limbal rings vs. no limbal ring, both men and women rated the faces with dark limbal rings as more attractive.⁴

“Limbal rings are subtle but powerful signals of youth and health,” says lead study author Darren Peshek, Ph.D., Research Director of The Odyssey Network Vision Science Research Lab.

Enhancing the limbal ring to define the iris edge and sharpen the contrast between the iris and the sclera is a key element in the design of 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE Brand Lenses. To develop the three variants — NATURAL SPARKLE, NATURAL SHIMMER and NATURAL SHINE — we used a combination of design principles based on science and the beauty needs expressed by women.

In addition to incorporating a solid limbal edge for crisp and natural definition, we sought to create iris-inspired patterns that incorporate highlights and shadows present in the natural iris. We specifically wanted to have color contrast within the patterns and opacity and translucency to create blending and definition.

The result is a lens that accentuates natural beauty while supporting a healthy eye with BEAUTY WRAPPED IN COMFORT Technology. A transparent optical zone also helps maintain clear vision. 1-DAY ACUVUE DEFINE is built on the trusted platform of 1-DAY ACUVUE MOIST, and shares the same oxygen permeability and UV blocking.^†*

Dr. Jansen is Principal Research Optometrist, R&D, for Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc.

REFERENCES

1. Kobayashi H, Kohshima S. Unique morphology of the human eye and its adaptive meaning: comparative studies on external morphology of the primate eye. J Hum Evol 2001;40(5):419-35.

2. Provine RR, Cabrera MO, Nave-Blodgett J. Red, yellow, and super-white sclera: uniquely human cues for healthiness, attractiveness, and age. Hum Nat 2013;24(2):126-36.

3. Russell R, Sweda JR, Porcheron A, Mauger E. Sclera color changes with age and is a cue for perceiving age, health, and beauty. Psychol Aging 2014;29(3):626-35.

4. Peshek D, Semmaknejad N, Hoffman D, Foley P. Preliminary evidence that the limbal ring influences facial attractiveness. Evol Pscyhol 2011;9(2):137-46.

JOHN P. BOSCIA, O.D., is in private practice in Easton, Pa. He received compensation from Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., for his time in writing this article. Visit tinyurl.com/OMcomment to comment.