Step into the fast-growing field of anti-aging eyecare with Bridgitte Shen Lee, O.D., to see if this focus may be right for your practice
as our patient base and the overall U.S. population ages, optometrists are having more discussions about anti-aging eyecare in their exam rooms. Patients are interested in solutions that help them look and feel younger in addition to seeing their best.
Thus, as a practice focus, ocular aesthetics is on the rise. And that is why we launched this new column for 2018 in EB. In this, and the next few columns, I will share how our practice, Vision Optique, has incorporated a simple three-tiered approach to anti-aging eye care and ocular aesthetics:
Tier One: Youthful and Comfortable Vision
Tier Two: Healthy, Clear Eyes and Long Lashes
Tier Three: Ocular and Facial Aesthetics
One of the keys to our success is that we offer “youthful” vision to all our patients over age 40. One way we do this is via daily disposable contact lenses.
We are one of the leading practices in the country in the one-day modality category, and our multifocal contact lens business grew by 32.8% in 2017. With five premium daily disposable multifocal contact lenses on the market, it’s easy to keep today’s active presbyopes happy and feeling young.
Patient selection, expectation management, and ocular surface exams are all important steps to ensure multifocal contact lens success. All our patients are screened for dry eye disease, meibomian gland dysfunction, and lids/lashes health prior to their multifocal contact lens exam.
There are 320 million people in the U.S., of which 75 million are baby boomers and 40 million are Gen Xers. Out of the 44 million current contact lens wearers, only 10% are in the multifocal contact lens category (one-day and multi-use modalities). Therefore, the opportunities and potential are tremendous for eyecare practitioners. 
| ABB Top 500 Accounts | Vision Optique | Difference (Pts) | Vision Optique Entire 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daily Disposable | 42.4% | 77.7% | 35.3% | 72.2% |
| 2 Weeks | 24.0% | 4.8% | -19.2% | 6.6% |
| Monthly | 33.4% | 17.4% | -16.0% | 20.7% |
| Other | 0.2% | 0.1% | -0.1% | 0.4% |
| Sphere | 61.8% | 47.8% | -14.0% | 56.8% |
| Toric | 27.2% | 29.1% | 1.9% | 21.6% |
| Multifocal | 8.9% | 21.7% | 12.9% | 19.2% |
| Colors | 2.1% | 1.4% | -0.7% | 2.5% |
| Other | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Vision Optique’s CL 2017 sales breakdown compared with 2016, and with ABB Optical’s Top 500 accounts in the U.S. | ||||
#AntiAgingEyecare + #SocialMedia Marketing
We have found that while one-day multifocal contact lenses provide youthful vision, they also increase patient referrals. Happy patients share their joy online (and offline), and they send their loved ones to us.
Our digitally connected and selfie-obsessed lives are creating significant opportunities for eyecare practitioners to deepen relationships with our patients by providing solutions.
With so many important eye health topics to discuss, where do we start, and what do we focus on?
With trial and error, I’ve learned to simplify my #SoMe messages to:
Educator of #DigitalEyeHealth® + #AntiAgingEyecare
Vision Optique’s active social media presence and quality content focusing on these two messages have resulted in multiple TV and radio interviews and a growing patient base.
—Bridgitte Shen Lee. O.D.
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