Combating Digital Eye Strain P33
vision care
SPECIAL SECTION/ABO CE
product news
EUROPEAN
eyewear
P22
Sensual European Style EMILIO PUCCI EYEWEAR
S E PT EMB ER 2 018 • P RO D U C T INF O RMA TIO N F O R O PTICA L PE O PL E • V ISIO NCA RE PR OD UCTS.COM
SEE WHAT’S NEW FROM YOUNGER OPTICS! AT VISION EXPO WEST BOOTH LP7087 David Rips, CEO
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ON THE COVER Emilio Pucci eyewear epitomizes the sensual styles of the European woman, and the newly available collection features an exclusive combination of standout colors, materials and shapes in line with that spirit. Geometrically revamped, featured cat-eye style EP0111 combines metal and acetate with a laser-engraved logo on the temple. FROM MARCOLIN
20 UPFRONT FROM THE PUBLISHER 10 VIEWS 12 THINK ABOUT YOUR EYES 14 Guest Editorial by Bridgitte Shen Lee, OD
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25 BUSINESS SOLUTIONS NEW 20
EYEWEAR + FASHION I’M SELLING EUROPEAN EYEWEAR 22 by Perry Brill
RETAILERS’ GUIDE TO EUROPEAN EYEWEAR SUCCESS 32
40 NEW 49
DIGITAL EYE STRAIN + BLUE LIGHT PRESCRIBING FOR ACCOMMODATIVE SCREEN ADDICTION 36 by Thomas Gosling, OD
VIEWS ON THE BLUES 37 by Gilan L Cockrell, OD, FAAO Continued on page 8
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Confidence has no competition, individuality is an expression and style is the personal signature. FYSH is designed for the strong, ambitious, game c hanging women who embrace individual style. Combining the latest runway looks with the color trends of the season, FYSH eyewear features a vast array of bold colors, intricate patterns, unique constructions and shapes. The 2018 collection focuses on mixed materials in deep earth tones finished with muted gold & rose gold hues. Animal prints, glitter acetates, pearlized & multi-colored acetates bring a new perspective. Metal accents suc h as double metal bridges, inlays & browline details are key to the perfect eyewear accessory.
VISION
EXPO
WEST
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BOOTH
#17019
1.855.455.0042 | WWW.WESTGROUPE.COM F-3605
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SEPTEMBER 2018 VOL 18, ISSUE 9
EDITORIAL STAFF VICE PRESIDENT, EDITORIAL John Sailer JSailer@FVMG.com
EDITOR Cara Aidone Huzinec CHuzinec@FVMG.com
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Kat McBride KMcBride@FVMG.com
PRODUCTION + WEB MANAGER
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Anthony Floreno AFloreno@FVMG.com
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Chec k out o ur special sect ion on DIGITAL EY E STRAIN + BLUE LIGH T
Gilan L. Cockrell, OD, FAAO, Ed Beiner, Perry Brill, Brian Chou, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Frank DePaolo, ABOC, Thomas Gosling, OD, Brett Hagen, OD, Scott Keating, OD, Kimberly Manthe, ABO, Nate Ogura, Harvey Ross, Bridgette Shen Lee, OD, Jason Tu, OD, Laura Wesolowski, ABOC EDITOR EMERITUS Ed De Gennaro, MEd, ABOM EDeGennaro@FVMG.com
Continued from page 1
ABO CE: HELPING EYEWEAR PATIENTS ATTAIN VISUAL COMFORT 40
HIGH BASE EDGING 59
by Ed De Gennaro Med, ABOM
20 QUESTIONS 62
A RESEARCH APPROACH TO BLUE LIGHT AND THE EYE 45
With Ashley Mills, CEO, The Vision Council
EXECUTIVE VP
by Brian Chou, OD, FAAO, FSLS
VISION EXCHANGE
VICE PRESIDENT, MARKETING
VISION CARE TECHNOLOGY HANDLING THE CURVES 58
NEW 60
CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING FOR THE OPTICAL INDUSTRY 63
BUSINESS STAFF PRESIDENT & PUBLISHER Terry Tanker TTanker@FVMG.com
Shawn Mery SMery@FVMG.com
Debby Corriveau DCorriveau@FVMG.com
REGIONAL SALES MANAGER Eric Hagerman EHagerman@FVMG.com
by Cara Huzinec
VISIONCAREPRODUCTNEWS
VCPN_MAGAZINE
VISIONCAREPRODUCTNEWS
SHOWCASE/VCPN
For subscription information email Sub@VisionCareProducts.com VCPN (ISSN-1549-6716) is published monthly by JFT Properties LLC, 31674 Center Ridge Rd., Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039. phone (440) 731-8600. Periodical Postage paid at Cleveland, OH and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to VCPN, 31674 Center Ridge Rd., Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039. SUBSCRIPTIONS: 31674 Center Ridge Rd., Suite 104, North Ridgeville, OH 44039 or online at visioncareproducts.com. Distributed to qualified optical dispensing locations, chain store headquarters, and optical laboratories. Other U.S. subscriptions are available for $85 for one year; $160 for two years. Contact publisher for overseas rates. Copyright © 2018 by JFT Properties LLC. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission of the publisher. The publisher’s acceptance and publication of any advertising or editorial materials does not constitute endorsement of any product, service, or company by JFT Properties LLC. Throughout this publication, trademark names are used. Instead of placing a trademark or registration symbol at every occurrence, we are using the names editorially only, with no intention of infringement of the trademark.
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From the Publisher.
A TOUCH OF
Y TERRY TANKER PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER
ou are all familiar with Nike’s famous “Just Do It” ad campaign, launched with Bo Jackson. That campaign was about getting into shape: no excuses, just get up and “do it.” That promotion was—and is— brilliant on a number of different levels. Because of its simplicity, everyone can relate to it. As a leader, you’re often faced with difficult decisions. Much like Nike’s campaign theme, you can choose to “just do it,” or you can opt to stay on the couch. Leaders who have established a set of criteria to lead by, manage by and live by are often able to make those tough decisions more quickly and easily. As those criteria are practiced, shared and exercised, they become part of a company culture. And that’s what this series is really all about: helping you establish leadership guidelines and decision-making criteria. I doubt any of the infamous executives who have been in the news over the past couple of decades such as Ken Lay, Enron; Dennis Kozlowski, Tyco; Jon Corzine, MF Global; Bernie Ebbers, Worldcom and Bernie Madoff, Madoff Investment Securities, had a set of rock-solid guidelines they managed by. If they had, they wouldn’t have made the mistakes that landed them in the news for all the wrong reasons.
class
If only they had considered one of the gems from Thomas Jefferson’s A Philosophy of Life: ....and never suppose that in any possible situation, or under any circumstances, it is best for you to do a dishonorable thing.
“Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you.” — Thomas Jefferson Whenever you are to do a thing, though it can never be known but to yourself, ask yourself how you would act were all the world looking at you, and act accordingly. Had they followed Jefferson’s philosophy, their futures, as well as the futures of their employees and their companies, would have been much different. Just as The Man in The Glass and Thomas Jefferson’s A Philosophy of Life, What is Class offers a set of principles, a way of thinking, acting and doing that will set you apart from others and establish you as a leader people will want to follow. Share these ideas, thoughts and philosophies with others. Ingrain them in all you do. It won’t be easy, and it will take time, but, like all great challenges, the journey is often more exciting than the destination.
WHAT IS CLASS? Class never runs scared. It is sure-footed and confident in the knowledge that you can meet life head-on and handle whatever comes along. Jacob had it. Esau didn’t. Symbolically, we can look to Jacob’s wrestling match with the angel. Those who have class have wrestled with their own personal “angel” and won a victory that marks them thereafter. Class never makes excuses. It takes its lumps and learns from past mistakes. Class is considerate of others. It knows that good manners are nothing more than a series of petty sacrifices. Class bespeaks an aristocracy that has nothing to do with ancestors or money. The most affluent blueblood can be totally without class while the descendants of a Welsh miner may ooze class from every pore. Class never tries to build itself up by tearing others down. Class is already up and need not strive to look better by making others look worse. Class can “walk with kings and keep its virtue and talk with crowds and keep the common touch.” Everyone is comfortable with the person who has class because he is comfortable with himself. If you have class, you don’t need much of anything else. If you don’t have it, no matter what else you have, it doesn’t make much difference. n
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Digital and social trends are opening up a new opportunity for your practice. BluTech eyewear is a ready made solution that can increase your profits. Even if a patient does not need vision correction, they still need the important protection that BluTech eyewear offers.
95% of users access social media from mobile device*
*Source: Common sense media 2017
A recent survey of over 2,000 BluTech users found that:
98% 99% 81%
reported significant sleep improvement stated that their eyes are more comfortable noticed night driving improvements
BluTech is the only near clear blue light solution that provides meaningful protection against the wavelengths actually emitted by digital devices. Help patients protect themselves from the dangers of blue light by bringing BluTech to your practice. Ready to wear optical and sun styles available. Call your ClearVision sales consultant at 800.645.3733 or visit us at Vision Expo West Booth #16087 to learn more. Distributed by ClearVision Optical Company | 800.645.3733 | cvoptical.com
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anywhere EYEWEAR
I JOHN SAILER VP, EDITORIAL
This month’s issue of VCPN focuses on European eyewear (among a number of other topics), and while interviewing the eyecare professionals who specialize in this category, we discovered that the adjectives they use to describe frames from Italy, France and their neighboring countries could also be used to characterize successfully selling frames from designers and manufacturers from anywhere in the world. Trendsetting, unique, romantic and fashionable were joined by descriptors such as quality, balance and the unexpected when we discussed European eyewear with the ECPs from throughout the United States. New York optician Frank DePaolo even said that European frame designers “create in-yourface, kick-down-the-door kind of looks.” Now that’s dramatic, and apparently definitive of European designs, but you can judge for yourself when you review pages 22 through 32 of this issue of VCPN for the latest styles from the continent being introduced this month in both the United States at Vision Expo West and in France at Silmo, both being held during the last weekend of September. However, those descriptions are not limited to frames coming out of Europe. Rather, they are equally appropriate when
describing any frame designs from other sources throughout the world, North America, Asia — anywhere that trailblazing design is making a name for itself and an impact on fashion. Similarly, the qualities that make the ECPs who carry European eyewear succeed are the same as those exhibited by the ECPs who do well stocking eyewear from other sources as well. In addition
Most important among these ECP traits are knowing the demographic makeup of your clientele and specifically addressing their needs. to taking risks with your frame board selections and making the effort to travel to the source of your desired designs, most important among these ECP traits are knowing the demographic makeup of your clientele and specifically addressing their needs. “Being close to Seattle brings in people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds with different tastes who are looking for something with a different flair on a regular basis. We need the style to reflect their personality,” optician Kimberly Manthe told us.
By knowing their clientele and addressing their needs, ECPs successfully stock styles not based on choosing Europe over other countries of origin, nor independent vs. corporate, and not even high-end vs. value. Those ECPs who know who they are fitting with frames are those ECPs who repeatedly achieve success. This becomes clear when focusing in on a single city, such as New York or Chicago or San Francisco, where one will find both neighborhoods where curating high-end luxury frames is appropriate as well as other areas where promoting value eyewear makes more sense. Understand your patients, determine their needs and actively source your frame board stock in response to these, and whether you offer frames from Europe, the U.S., Canada, China, all of these or none of these and somewhere else, you’ll find that this advice these ECPs have shared comes from years of experience. Whether its classic panto tortoiseshells or edgy acetate in bold bright colors and funky shapes, the goal is to stock the designs that people will wear. Optometrist Brett Hagen summed it up best when he told us, “Every frame has a face; no matter how far out there you think it is, it’s going to be a fit for somebody.” n
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Clear vision is critical. Costa 580® polarized sunglasses sharpen your patient’s vision by enhancing colors, reducing harsh yellow light and blocking harmful shortwave HEV. To learn Social Purpose Brand & Company
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more about Costa’s plano and prescription sunglass programs, call (855) COSTA RX.
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Think About Your Eyes.
Effective EYECARE EDUCATION
By Bridgitte Shen Lee, OD
I
n today’s digital world, consumers constantly receive offers for “online eye exams” or value glasses/contact lenses in their social media feeds. As eyecare professionals, we know the difference between an online refraction and a comprehensive eye exam by an optometrist. We also know about the innovations and protections that ophthalmic, contact lens, and pharmaceutical companies put into the latest premium lenses, contact lenses, and ocular surface disease treatments, but do patients know about them? We understand the importance of annual eye exams for every school-aged child, but many parents are not even aware of the difference between a vision screening and eye exam. In addition, many patients have digital-age dry eye and eye fatigue symptoms, but they have not heard of meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) and digital eye strain solutions. They are surprised when we discuss lids/lashes and digital hygiene in the exam room. As primary care optometrists, we need to team up with the eyecare industry to help consumers understand the importance of annual eye exams and preventive eyecare. Here are tips for eyecare education success: 1. ENGAGE ONLINE Simply setting up a website or social media 14 | VC P N S E P T E M B E R 2 018
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account is not enough; content and engagement matter. Here are examples of how to improve your content to generate engagement: • Include specific eyecare topics on your website, and keep an active blog. • Create albums by topic within your business Facebook page for more in-depth education. • Set up playlists on your YouTube channel. For example: MGD and Dry Eye, Digital Eye Strain, Myopia Control. • Feature informative photos on Instagram, and task your employee with the most followers to oversee it. • Study your Google analytics regularly to identify where your patients are coming from and what they are searching for. Consider adding pages about common search terms to your website. 2. BEFRIEND LOCAL MEDIA If you have patients in local media, offer to be their eyecare topic source. Provide content, show appreciation, and work around their story schedule. Create a “TV News Media” album and playlist on your practice Facebook and YouTube to share and for easier search. 3. EMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF ANNUAL EYE EXAMS Offer “breakfast/lunch & learn” sessions at local pediatricians’ offices and ask for referrals. Send an appreciation lunch to the
entire office at the beginning and the end of the school year. In addition, ask to meet and offer assistance to area school nurses. For those doctors with children, start with your kids’ pediatricians and school nurses. Patient education is more important now than ever: 66% of the world’s 7.47 billion people have mobile phones, and 2.5 billion are active mobile social media users, which means 34% of the world’s population are spending hours on their smartphones every day. Actively engaging with patients online and providing quality educational content will bring them into your practices. In addition to these tips, I support Think About Your Eyes, which encourages patients to get an annual eye exam and also educates them about various vision issues at ThinkAboutYourEyes.com. Patient education never stops, and it’s our duty as advocates for eye health to equip them for success. n Bridgitte Shen Lee, OD, is the founder and CEO of Vision Optique and iTravelCE. She writes and lectures on the topics of digital eye health, dry eye disease, anti-aging eyecare, healthcare social media, and ocular aesthetics. Shen Lee is one of the TFOS (Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society) global ambassadors representing the U.S. She is one of 21,000 doctors listed on the Think About Your Eyes doctor locator. First Vision Media Group is a media partner of Think About Your Eyes. V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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vision care
product news
Insider. LAUNCHES, PROMOTIONS, MERCHANDISING, EVENTS AND OTHER THINGS TO KEEP YOU IN THE KNOW DE RIGO CELEBRATES THE BIG 4-0
MORE STATES SUPPORT THINK ABOUT YOUR EYES
De Rigo celebrated 40 years in business with a party and dinner at its headquarters near Belluno, Italy, on July 25. Founder and President Ennio De Rigo toasted the company’s success to more than 1,000 employees and local authorities in attendance.
California, Delaware and Massachusetts are the latest state optometric associations to join Think About Your Eyes’ national public awareness campaign about the importance of scheduling an annual eye exam with an optometrist. This brings the total number of states supporting the campaign to 44. Each state provides its members with a free listing on the Think About Your Eyes doctor locator, which now offers more than 22,000 listings.
818.504.3950 DeRigo.com
ThinkAboutYourEyes.com
NEW EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS FROM TRANSITIONS To help eyecare professionals educate patients on new brand and lens offerings, Transitions Optical has created several educational and point-of-sale tools. The materials include information on how to dispense, style and communicate about the brand and are centered around the launch of Transitions Signature lenses style colors and Transitions XTRActive style mirrors. ECPs can order a custom kit for their practice from the TransitionsPRO website. 800.848.1506 TransitionsPRO.com/freestyle
AN AD FIT FOR A KING Pearle Vision has launched a new ad campaign entitled “Olivia” that will feature tennis legend and cultural icon Billie Jean King. The commercial focuses on a young girl who needs glasses and the care shown to her by a Pearle optometrist. It ends with an iconic photo of King and with the girl posting the photo onto a board of “Women Who Made History.” Watch the video at YouTube.com/watch?v=zcdYGcGr2pg. 800-PEARLE-1 PearleVision.com
To stay informed subscribe to the VCPN INSIDER e-newsletter here: VisionCareProducts.com/VCPN-INSIDER 16 | VC P N S E P T E M B E R 2 018
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vision care
product news
Insider. WORLD SIGHT DAY BACK FOR A 12TH YEAR Coordinated by Optometry Giving Sight, the annual World Sight Day Challenge is a response to an alarming statistic: 1.22 billion people worldwide are blind or vision-impaired because they do not have access to an eye exam and the glasses they need. The tax-deductible fundraising campaign kicks off on Oct. 11 and continues through the end of November. 888.OGS.GIVE GivingSight.org
HIRES + PROMOTIONS Coburn Technologies, Inc. appointed Marina Vaynberger as international regional sales manager for Russia, Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. De Rigo REM appointed Tatiana De Arruda Penteado as senior creative director. She will report directly to vice president, business development, Jim Sepanek, and will enhance the strategic direction of design and product. The company has also hired Talia Bruno as senior director of key accounts. Bruno will play a vital role in cultivating new business opportunities and aiding the corporate sales strategy. Eyewear Designs has hired Ken Clay as vice president, business development. He will oversee key account activity and drive company growth in the U.S. and internationally. ABB Optical Group appointed Thomas E. Burke III to chief executive officer. He takes over from Angel Alvarez, who will remain chairman of the company. The Society to Advance Opticianry has named seven opticians to its board of directors: Sam Johnson, president; Thomas Blair, Jr., vice president; Michelle Johnson, secretary/treasurer; Amy Endo, board member; April Frey, board member; Thomas Snyder, candidate representative; and Barry Santini, immediate past president.
KEEP YOUR EYE ON THE BALL VSP Global Eyes partnered with VSP network doctors and the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy to provide access to eyecare and eyewear to more than 120 scholarathletes on July 20. More than half the kids who received eye exams were also prescribed glasses, and all athletes walked away with Nike sunglasses. 800.877.7195 VSP.com
VISION COUNCIL SUMMIT AND TRENDS REPORT The Vision Council’s 2019 Executive Summit will take place from Jan. 30 to Feb. 1, 2019 in Orlando, FL. The event will feature opportunities for executive-level networking, leadership development, economic trends, and business strategies. Legendary Notre Dame football coach Lou Holtz headlines the announced speakers. Separately, the Vision Council’s Eyecessorize fashion eyewear campaign has released its fall/winter eyewear trends kit to editors nationwide. The digital kit includes an online booklet with trend descriptions and the ability to download high-resolution images of featured frames.
LICENSES + AGREEMENTS Safilo has renewed its global Fossil eyewear license through December 2023. Safilo has held the Fossil license since 1999. Kering Eyewear and Montblanc are partnering for the development, production and worldwide distribution of Montblanc sunglasses and optical frames. The Montblanc Eyewear Spring/Summer 2019 collection will be revealed this month at Silmo before launching internationally in January 2019, when Montblanc’s partnership with Marcolin comes to a close. Zowee Wow Distinctive Eyewear is now the Canadian distributor for the boutique eyewear collection Roger Eye Design. De Rigo and TOUS, a leading Spanish brand of jewels and accessories for the luxury market, have renewed their license agreement for sunglasses and prescription frames ahead of the expiration date. De Rigo has held the TOUS license since 2000.
888.867.8867 TheVisionCouncil.org Eyecessorize.com
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Insider. MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR VISION EXPO WEST EXPERIENCE WITH THESE SPECIAL OFFERS. Refuel, Tura
High Five, Eyefinity
Book an appointment with Tura to receive an exclusive Ted Baker travel coffee cup. Plus, check out the allnew Lara Spencer Collection at the show to win a Lara Spencer frame.
Stop by Eyefinity for free food and prizes on Sept. 27 in celebration of the company’s fifth birthday. Demonstrations, drinks and appetizers will be offered throughout the show, plus receive special discounts on all purchases made at VEW.
800.242.8872 Tura.com
800.269.3666 Eyefinity.com
Booth 16021
Booth 13065
expo Prize Fishing, Oakley Booth 16028
Test Oakley’s Prizm polarized lenses by arming yourself with a fishing rod and the new water sport-specific model Split Shot. Catch the letters “P, R, I, Z and M” and win an Oakley-branded water bottle. 800.733.6255 Oakley.com
Customer Appreciation, ClearVision Optical Booth 16087 ClearVision is rewarding new accounts that place an 18-piece order at the show with a $100 American Express gift card. Existing customers who refer a new customer are also eligible. 800.645.3733 CVOptical.com
Free VEE, WestGroupe
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Booth 17019
Deep Discounts, Thema Optical
Customers who visit WestGroupe’s booth can enter to win airfare for two and hotel accommodations for three nights for Vision Expo East 2019 in New York City.
Booth G21049
Thema Optical is offering a 30% discount on every order of 15 pieces or more. ECPs can even customize “Your Own Collection” by choosing different style combinations.
855.455.0042 WestGroupe.com
786.803.8881 ThemaOptical.com
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Insider.
Cash Out, Modern Optical Booth 13026
Place any size order to instantly win $100 cash. Make an appointment prior to the show and receive up to $200 cash. New customers who place an initial order at the show will receive a $250 voucher for a future order. 800.323.2409 ModernOptical.com
expo
Look Like a Champ, L’Amy America Booth 16043 Receive a free custom embroidered Champion sweatshirt when you visit the booth, where you can also watch graffiti artist Andre Trenier create artwork each day of the show.
Reward Yourself, Alternative Eyewear Booth G23031 Visa gift cards abound at Alternative: Buy 18 pieces of Nano Vista, 24 pieces of Vue or 12 pieces from another collection and receive a $50 Visa gift card. 888.399.7742 AlternativeEyes.com
800.243.6350 LAmyAmerica.com
Seeing Is Believing, Essilor Earn Your Allowance, Nouveau Eyewear and ImageWear Booth 16042
All For The Kids, Hilco Vision Booth 13024 Buy a 24-piece starter kit of Hilco Vision’s Milo & Me children’s frame collection to receive 12 Spec Pet eyeglass holders and 12 backpacks free — a $218.88 value. 800.955.6544 HilcoVision.com
Purchase any level of frames from any Nouveau or ImageWear collections to receive a marketing allowance in the form of an American Express gift card: $250 with a 20-frame purchase, $175 for 15 frames, $125 for 10 frames and $50 for five frames. ImageWear is also offering show-exclusive savings on Revolution magnetic clip-on eyewear. 800.292.4342 NouveauEyewear.com; 800.414.7656 ImageWear.com
From Show Floor to Casino Table, Zyloware Eyewear Booth 18031
Booth LP 11065
Learn how Varilux X Series progressive lenses were developed by interacting with objects at arm’s length, and Essilor will capture where your eyes focus to map your vision. Also learn about the Ultimate Lens Package and get a mini-makeover at the Transitions beauty bar after checking out the new Signature style colors and XTRActive style mirrors. 800.542.5668 EssilorUSA.com
Practice Management, De Rigo REM Booth G23035 DeRigo REM will host a series of educational talks at its booth, covering practice management topics such as dispensing product and creating a positive in-store experience. The talks, led by De Rigo REM President Alessandro Baronti, will be 20 to 25 minutes each. Attendees will receive exclusive access to De Rigo REM’s online practice management training following the show. 800.423.3023 DeRigo.US
Head to the casino straight from the show: buy 12 frames and get a $25 chip, 18 for $50, or 25 for $100. New accounts that order 12 pieces will receive a 15% discount plus a $25 American Express gift card. Enter the raffle each show day for different prizes: Thursday for a basketball autographed by Shaquille O’Neal, Friday for a $100 American Express gift card and Saturday for an Amazon Echo Show. 800.765.3700 Zyloware.com
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New. VUECARE PARTNERS WITH HEA AND FITTING BOX FOR PATIENT EDUCATION Patient education and digital practice marketing tool provider, VueCare Media has announced strategic partnerships with Healthy Eyes Advantage (HEA) and FittingBox. VueCare’s patient education tools include VueSimulator, web-based software for exam lanes or optical dispensaries that uses interactive animations with videos to not only educate patients but also to upsell products and procedures. In partnership with VueCare, HEA companies, including Block Buying Group, C&E Vision, ClubZero, HMI Buying Group, Red Tray Network and Vision West, will receive free hardware, installation, and implementation to support enhancing their practices with a complete 360° patient experience. In partnership with FittingBox (Vision Expo West booth #19116), VueCare Media is developing hybrids of both companies’ technologies, including web-based virtual try-on and simulate-yourvision. HEA members and Vision Expo West attendees who stop by the VueCare Media booth will be the first to see the new 360° suite of solutions being unveiled at the conference. 410.309.0404 Info@VueCareMedia.com
FACEBOOK GUIDE INTRODUCED A guide to “being a Facebook rockstar” is now available for download from EyeCarePro. With ten pages of real examples, the free book describes how to create a Facebook business page and make it stand out. It includes 18 free Facebook posts and nine free Facebook covers. Simple, straightforward posting ideas are provided to bring in the community and keep them coming back for more. The free ebook is available here: HubSpot.EyeCarePro.net/Facebook-ebook-2018. 866.886.4442 ContactMe@EyeCarePro.net
EYEFINITY ACCREDITED Practice management and EHR solutions provider Eyefinity has achieved full accreditation for the Healthcare Network Accreditation Program (HNAP) from the Electronic Healthcare Network Accreditation Commission (EHNAC). EHNAC evaluated Eyefinity in areas of privacy measures, systems availability and security infrastructure and reviewed the organization’s process of managing and transferring protected health information to determine that the organization meets or exceeds all EHNAC criteria and industry standards. Eyefinity’s HNAP accreditation is approved through 2020. 877.481.4455 CustomerCare@Eyefinity.com
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3DNA EYEWEAR UPDATED Eye-DNA’s digital customization, 3D-scanning 3DNA Eyewear system has been updated to include an interactive touch screen retail kiosk with two new frame collections, an 80-piece swatch book and eyewear design software v1.6. The new v1.6 design app now includes Swipe-to-Browse, Style Compare, Auto Fit and Live Assist features. The software ships with four frame collections and 12 styles per collection. All collections can be ordered in titanium, stainless steel, Mazzucchelli acetate, stone, mother-of-pearl, wood, buffalo horn, cork, carbon fiber and recycled vinyl made by Spexwax. 561.306.6990 Info@3DNA-Eyewear.com
V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
8/27/18 12:52 PM
For work play and
every day Patients want multiple pairs of eyewear to enhance the way they live. Help make them easier to purchase from your practice with promotional financing options available through the CareCredit credit card*. Visit booth #13058 at Vision Expo West. Or call for more information and enroll at no cost today^.
866.853.8432
www.carecredit.com
visioninfo@carecredit.com
*Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly payments required. See carecredit.com for details. ^Subject to change. VCPN0918OA
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I’M SELLING
European
EYEWEAR
YOUR OPTIONS FOR ADDING ARTISTICALLY DESIGNED, ARTISANALLY CRAFTED, TRENDSETTING FASHION-FORWARD FRAMES EXPAND EXPONENTIALLY WHEN YOU STOCK YOUR BOARDS WITH EYEWEAR FROM EUROPE.
By Perry Brill
I
spent 20 days traveling through seven countries and nine cities of Europe a couple months ago, but you don’t have to go there to explore the cultural significance it can have in your life, especially your optical life. Compare Europe’s influence on the current coffee scene to that of eyewear. Micro-roasters are thriving, and the exceptionally tasty coffee results from fancy pour-overs, French presses and matcha lattes. Micro-roasters are not selling coffee anymore, they are selling space and branding. They are adopting the philosophy that a connection to a brand and creating a space for you to linger are more important than the product itself. It’s a new type of collateral—brand-experience collateral. European eyewear lends itself well to developing your brand-experience collateral. It’s one of the main pillars you can build upon to prompt loyalty, trendiness, curiosity, and lingering in your brickand-mortar retail presence. TAKE A RISK With so many flavors, of coffee as well as European eyewear, you might have some difficulty predicting what’s trendy in your area. You might be surprised when modestly dressed people will frequently be open to wearing a work of art on their face, eyewear art that comes in so many forms from the clean lines of simple titanium to candy-looking acetate.
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Begin by attending a major optical show such as Vision Expo or Silmo, where you are likely to gain a sense of awareness that the movement toward independent European eyewear brands is growing exponentially. A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH The best part about working with European eyewear vendors is the collaborative effort. When small retail and wholesale business goals are aligned, the result is a powerhouse think tank that can predict what consumers want and how to deliver it, differentiating your optical at the same time. THRIVE THROUGH ART When you sell a frame, you are selling plastic or metal. When you sell art, you sell an approach, process, human connection and yourself. People buy from people who evoke emotion in them. Those little expensive pieces of art sitting on your shelves present the easiest way for your optical to thrive in a competitive climate. Staging this one part of your optical pillar system starts by purchasing one European frame collection and consistently adding to your assortment. Before you know it, your brandexperience collateral will be unique and you will have raving fans wearing raving eyewear.
V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
8/27/18 8:19 AM
European Eyewear.
CO30502
SF2170
ITALY L’AMY / CANALI
ITALY MARCHON / SALVATORE FERRAGAMO
T
T
L’Amy America 800.243.6350 LAmyAmerica.com Support@LAmyAmerica.com
Marchon Eyewear 800.645.1300 Marchon.com CS@Marchon.com
his handmade men’s luxury eyewear launched this year with 18 ophthalmic and 15 sunglass models, 19 acetate and 14 metal. All sunglass lenses are Zeiss, and each sunglass style offers one in polarized. Dual-hinged, non-rocking Viscottica/ OBE hinges are used, and the Canali logo script C plaque signature is inset on every temple tip.
V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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he new Salvatore Ferragamo Men’s Capsule collection combines modern design and elegance in a range of sunglasses and optical styles that reinterpret vintageinspired shapes and classical frames in smooth acetate and shiny metal. Each model is enhanced with exclusive contrasts and refined accents ranging from striped motifs and transparent effects to the iconic Double Gancini detail.
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European Eyewear.
FF0323S
HONGDAE VI
ITALY SAFILO / FENDI
F
rom Italian eyewear company Safilo Group, the FENDI Fall/Winter 2018-19 Women’s Eyewear Collection features both optical frames and sunglasses. The EYELINE optical frame’s pure geometries and maximum lightness are enhanced by the slim frame lines in flat shiny metal. The new F IS FENDI sunglasses add a contemporary twist to the classic shape, paired with the signature logo. Safilo USA 800.631.1188 Safilo.com Info@Safilo.com
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SPAIN ETNIA BARCELONA
I
nspired by Barcelona, Etnia Barcelona was founded 16 years ago by David Pellicer, grandson of Fulgencio Ramo, who worked in an eyewear factory until he opened his own in the city’s Poble Sec neighborhood in the 1950s. Lenses are pure mineral scratch-proof material, and frames are made of natural acetate in colors and designs created by Mazzucchelli. Etnia Barcelona 800.553.8642 EtniaBarcelona.com
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European Eyewear.
EZ0120
JILL
ITALY MARCOLIN / ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA
W
orn by actor Dev Patel, these acetate frames are embellished with metal rivets featuring the chevron motif, while the temple tips are adorned with vicuñacolored inserts. The sporty mask-style sunglasses in nylon feature a metal double bridge and leather edging on the lenses. Similarly, two rivets on the front feature the iconic chevron motif, while the temple tips are enhanced by camel-colored inserts. Marcolin 800.345.8482 Marcolin.com
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InfoUSA@Marcolin.com
DENMARK ØRGREEN
Ø
rgreen Optics has combined refined Nordic design sensibility with technical innovation since 1997, and this year the company introduces Minimal Vintage, its first collection in acetate, featuring five men’s, six women’s and two unisex styles. Extending Ørgreen’s modern minimalist visual ethos, Minimal Vintage builds a bridge between past nostalgia and innovation in contemporary eyewear design. Ørgreen 816.220.7533 Orgreen.dk
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European Eyewear.
ADAM 6030 04935
ITALY LOOK OCCHIALI
AUSTRIA NEUBAU
S
T
Look Occhialli 855.302.1792 509.251.5192 LookOcchiali.it
neubau eyewear 800.223.0180 neubau-eyewear.com contactus@neubau-eyewear.com
tarted in 1978 in Campolongo di Cadore, Italy, as a little workshop to manufacture acetate frames, Look Optics became Look Occhiali in 1986 and added a new production facility, Metal Look, in 1992 in Auronzo di Cadore, Italy. According to the company, “Look keeps its production in ltaly to guarantee to its customers the uniqueness of the product and to expand its trade presence in countries throughout the world.”
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wo new entries from neubau eyewear, Adam & Eva make their debut in the highend segment and mark the first time the brand’s Rx styles have a new hinge style that subtly integrates the neubau logo. There’s an element of surprise about Adam’s “Squanto” shape, a darkly toned frame with a fairly angular outline in a 1920s Panto style. Eva features a subtly arched cat-eye shape.
V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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European Eyewear.
GV3000
HANA
ITALY THEMA
T
hema Optical was born in 1971 by engineer Giorgio Valmassoi and continues today with son Roberto and daughter Giulia. The family company has also expanded into the U.S. with facilities in Florida. Above, the model wears O-Six Spatialism, created by subtracting from acetate, starting with a solid piece and little by little revealing the shape of the frame. Thema Optical 786.803.8881 ThemaOptical.com CService@Thema-Optical.com
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ENGLAND KIRK & KIRK
K
irk & Kirk’s Kaleidoscope Collection has introduced new additions that will be showcased at Silmo and that will feature the cat eye Hana, shown above. Chloe Jasmine is wearing Lez in earth. The brand new handmade 10mm acrylic Centena collection will be launched with ten shapes and ten colors at Silmo. Kirk & Kirk 267.773.6670 KirkAndKirk.com USA@KirkAndKirk.com
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European Eyewear.
0PO2452V VCH239
0PO3217S
SCHC22
SWITZERLAND CHOPARD / DE RIGO REM
E
yewear from this renowned Swiss luxury accessories brand is handcrafted at De Rigo’s factory in Longarone, Italy. Introducing new styles for fall, the latest collection of sun and optical captures the luxurious features, skilled craftsmanship and originality of Chopard’s iconic jewelry and watch lines and reinterprets them into every detail of the frame, recalling the painstaking traditional workmanship of Swiss goldsmiths. De Rigo REM 800.423.3023 DeRigo.US CustomerService@DeRigo.US
ITALY LUXOTTICA / PERSOL
A
mong Italy’s iconic brands and founded more than 100 years ago in 1917, Persol breaks ground with its new collection, three-lens glasses design from the archives. Also making its debut, the flex hinge on metal temples is the result of two years of research. The color theme combines light pastel lenses, from the archives but reinvented with new treatments, and acetates that include original two-tone and streaked havana shades. Luxottica 800.422.2020 Luxottica.com CustomerService@US.Luxottica.com
30055L LW40012 LW40006 30068L
FRANCE MOREL / LIGHTEC
SPAIN THÉLIOS / LOEWE
C
raftsmanship, experimental spirit and expertise in leather are the three pillars of LOEWE that also define this first eyewear collection made in collaboration with Thélios. The straight and rectangular shape of style LW40006 with a stitched leather front makes for a strong and unisex look, while style LW40012 combines acetate and metal in a futuristic mask shape.
Thélios LOEWE.com
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F
ounded in 1880, the family business is now run by the fourth generation. Thin and light are among the features of the Lightec collection’s minimalist and streamlined frames. Women’s frames combine metal and acetate, while men’s feature a stainless steel arch embedded in a thin aluminum frame. They possess a chic and stylish lightweight and sophisticated feel. Morel 800.526.8838 Morel-France.com Sales@Morel-EyewearUSA.com
V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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Maui Sunrise N O W AVA I L A B L E I N P R E S C R I P T I O N
Featuring Maui Brilliant®: Maui Jim’s most advanced proprietary lens material combines optics nearly as clear as glass with just one-third of the weight. Color. Clarity. Detail.
©2018 Maui Jim, Inc.
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European Eyewear. “There is a sort of romance that comes from the few true Italian and French factories left that feels like something coming from a factory cranking out eyewear for five decades. That holds true for Germany as well. The characteristics are tricky because there is no quantitative value, but once you’ve been around it for awhile you know the feeling. There’s something about multigenerational facilities that leads to that romantic feel. You can feel it in the details. There’s a certain suppleness.”
“With European styles we’ve looked for something nobody else in town is stocking to make people feel like they’re wearing something unique and boutique. Europe’s influence on fashion in the U.S. is to go one step further with colors that are a little bolder and designs that are a little edgier. Every frame has a face; no matter how far out there you think it is, it’s going to be a fit for somebody.” — Brett Hagen, OD Garland Vision Source, Spokane, WA
— N ate Ogura, Owner Eyes on Fremont, Seattle
“European style is a trendsetting marker in the eyewear industry with experimental designs, provocative color variations, and advanced innovation. These artistic creations have allowed clients to wear a piece of art everyday and transform not only their overall look but overall attitude. Opticians welcome carrying these pieces in their curated assortments because it offers them an opportunity to style their clients with the best quality products out there”
“European eyewear bends toward the fashionable side with high quality and a larger percentage being handmade. Italians specifically are very creative, fashion-forward manufacturers. To determine what to carry, you have to do research on your clientele. I happen to be in downtown San Diego, where they are looking for a certain type of eyewear. They gravitate toward higher end, more luxury, more Italian.” — Jason Tu, OD Downtown Optometry, San Diego
— Harvey Ross, President/CEO OPTYX, New York
“European eyewear is a leader of style not a follower of a trend. Someone who comes to our practice knows they will have something on the cutting edge. We might have had little round circle frames for three years, and now they are selling. European product will be mainstream product in the U.S. in a couple of years. European product lasts long. The quality is so great, sometimes to our demise because clients reuse the frames, and we only see a turnover of lenses. This gives you the opportunity to teach the client about wardrobing. I wish I had a little book to tell everyone the criteria, but you need to pick out product yourself. You need to try it on and physically feel the tangible quality, how smooth it is, the hinge, the balance, the scaling.” — Laura Wesolowski, ABOC Wichryk Eye Associates, Macungie, PA
“The bigger brands’ eyewear is coming out at the same time as their clothing and bags and accessories, and you’ll find the same details in their eyewear. Milan is still the center of fashion. Second to that will come France, but we’re in a changing world, and their creative direction is becoming younger. They’re talking streetwear, which will have an impact on how eyewear is being worn and perceived. Then we have niche products out of Denmark and Germany and Spain, and also of course Italy and France, which requires you getting on a plane and going to the small factories or visiting the shows. You’re not going to find them sitting in your office or even on the internet. You need to go there if you want some exclusivity. You take a risk, put it in your store, try it out and have fun with the customer. Sometimes it works . . . and sometimes it doesn’t.” — Ed Beiner, Chief Visionary Officer Edward Beiner Group, Miami
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European Eyewear. “European eyewear stands apart. I personally opened up this unique optical in small town USA, getting in unique eyewear from all over the world. People in this area don’t usually see this type of eyewear. People started coming from all over, and we exploded in growth. Europeans do a good job of understanding color. They have a fashion balance, using the proper amount of crystals and colors. Europe sets the trend. Whether cat eye or round, you will see it first in European eyewear. You need to set yourself apart. Some people pick visual therapy or dry eye. My niche is unique eyewear. You have to make a commitment and make 30% or 50% independent companies out of Europe.”
RETAILERS’ GUIDE TO EUROPEAN EYEWEAR SUCCESS They are in France and I’m in the U.S. How will I get service? • Onboard and employee education easily through a video conference. • Call the U.S. office (if available) or chat through email or using a popular mobile application such as WhatsApp. Your customers will understand answers may not be available on the same day. Many companies are adopting online.
—S cott Keating, OD Vision Trends by Dr. Scott Keating, Dover, OH “Being close to the Seattle area, near Olympia, brings in people from different cultures and ethnic backgrounds with different tastes who are looking for something with a different flair on a regular basis. We need the style to reflect their personality, but we also need quality. People love the quality of European frames and want them to complement their personality, lifestyle and wardrobe. A lot of what’s happening in Europe is larger sized. Rounds are still in. There is a lot of metal happening. Patients like to have some variety and individuality, and we like to have a few pieces that are unexpected. Watch the turns and treat it like a business.”
How do I find reputable European eyewear brands? • Check out their internet presence, meet at trade shows and monitor trade publications. Be an early adopter. But no one knows these brands? • Curiosity is a human instinct. We want to be different and have people ask: Where did you get those? I don’t get a buying group discount. I don’t think my optical or patients can afford these. • Expect transparency in European purchases. Everyone is getting the same deal, which flattens the negotiating landscape. • You can’t afford not to sell these. A few sales of funky eyewear and a few referrals, and you have recouped your investment.
— Kimberly Manthe, ABO Clarus Eye Centre, Lacey, WA
“European eyewear is certainly passionate and unique with a real thought process behind it. That’s where the majority of artistic eyewear has been produced. In most cases in Europe they are second or third generation operations, literally artists who value their trade and run small family factories, as well as large ones. Europeans pay attention to architecture in general, not just in the sense of buildings but in their attention to detail. I wouldn’t just say that their eyewear is colorful, but there’s a reason for it, a thought process behind it in which individual colors represent certain feelings, certain emotions. The color, quality, attention to detail and bolder lines create in-your-face, kick-down-the-door kind of looks.” — Frank DePaolo, ABOC, Optician/Owner Successful Vision Corp., New York
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You want exclusivity on products and so do customers. • The dealer locator may soon become your best friend. A warm optical lead generally leads to an easy sale. If a European brand has limited accounts in your area, it’s a good chance that a customer searching online for frames will end up in your gallery with a quick map search for closest retailers. • People want things other people can’t get. We seek the unattainable. Longevity of eyewear leads to a wardrobe mentality. • European eyewear is made with premium parts and quality craftsmanship. Two years after a purchase, the product is generally in like-new condition and ready for a new set of lenses. You want sales, but service and longevity are remembered.
Know the value. • Don’t comply with conventional markups. It’s acceptable to start with a 5x markup and see how the consumer responds. You may be surprised what the market will bear. You can always go lower. Buy your product right, and sell on value, not price. When you put an acetate frame on that is silky smooth, the hinges close with a buttery softness and the bridge rests gently on your nose, you’ve encountered a quality frame. Know your frame features and price accordingly. • There is buying, and there is buying right. There is pricing, and there is pricing right. European eyewear has so much value because you are simply paying for the product closer to the source. What about warranties? • If you are worried about warranties, you are in the wrong business and mindset. Worry about curating a selection of eyewear that will refer people in from countless word-of-mouth comments. • Quality eyewear holds up well. In the event you do need a warranty, the process is no different than with other companies. Just be patient to wait for shipment from overseas. Will a rep visit my optical quarterly to get us up to speed? • Depending on the company, a representative will be readily available for consistent visits. If not, don’t panic. Learn how to manage your own inventory and purchasing patterns. Sometimes it’s nice to not have someone breathing down your neck. Expand your bench skillset. • European eyewear frequently exhibits unique hinges, mounting procedures, adjusting instructions or assembly methods. Your hand skills will be fine-tuned in a way you never imagined. As always, when you think you know it all…there’s more to learn.
Perry Brill, Optician, Brill Eye Center, Mission, KS V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
DIGITAL EYE STRAIN + BLUE LIGHT
A Research Approach to
BLUE LIGHT + THE EYE Prescribing for SCREEN
Views on
THE BLUES
Helping Eyewear Patients
ADDICTION
ATTAIN VISUAL COMFORT
A Continuing Education Supplement to VCPN, September 2018. Approved for one ABO credit hour of continuing education, Technical Level II. vision care
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product news
Image courtesy of ClearVision Optical
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SIMPLIFY YOUR BLUE LIGHT SOLUTION. TechShield Blue delivers targeted blue light defense in a next-generation lens coating, simplifying your AR recommendation, and allowing your patients to work, play, and connect with confidence. ™
• Combats digital eye strain • Enhances visual performance • Reduces front and backside reflectance • Resists scratches • Repels dirt, oil, and water
Learn more at TechShieldBlue.com.
©2018 Vision Service Plan. All rights reserved. TechShield is a trademark of Plexus Optix, Inc. 27497
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DIGITAL EYE STRAIN + BLUE LIGHT: SCREEN ADDICTION
Prescribing FOR SCREEN ADDICTION This case study illustrates the need for ECPs to take the lead with their patients on digital eye strain, diagnosing the problem and easing discomfort.
By Thomas Gosling, OD
T
he accommodative demands of screen addiction are becoming a major problem, especially with Millennials and younger generations (those who are 10 to 38 years old). Most of this age group is spending a significant amount of time viewing smartphones, tablets and laptop computers throughout the day, and their visual systems have never been under such stress. Nearly 70% of this group admits to suffering from digital eye strain. Eyecare professionals need to be more aware if their patients are suffering from symptoms of digital eye strain and offer solutions. The discussion begins best in the exam room. According to The Vision Council, 90% of patients do not talk to their eyecare provider about digital device usage. On my intake questionnaire, I ask every patient to estimate the time they spend looking at their smartphone, tablet, computer and printed material. Next, I ask if they are experiencing any symptoms of digital eye strain, including fluctuating vision, tired eyes, headaches, body fatigue, dry eyes, sight sensitivity, eye rubbing, poor night vision or reduced concentration. Recently, I had a young patient getting his driver’s license who failed the DMV vision screening test. He came in complaining he needed eyeglasses for driving. When I reviewed his intake questionnaire, he had checked every key symptom of digital eye strain and indicated using his smartphone “24/7.” His autorefractor results of -1.25D sphere OU indicated he needed eyeglasses for distance. His entering visual acuities were 20/40 OU. During the refraction, I used a technique that I use to assure I do not push too much minus, especially with patients exhibiting symptoms of digital eye strain and heavy screen use. I fog them with +2.50D over what I feel their Rx is. I slowly take away this plus until they begin reading the 20/40 line. Once they get to 20/40, I drop in the retinoscopy lens (+1.50D) for about five seconds to relax the accommodation. After giving another -0.25D, I remove the retinoscopy lens.
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Eyecare professionals need to be more aware if their patients are suffering from symptoms of digital eye strain and offer solutions. In this case, the patient jumped from 20/40 to 20/25. Repeating this pattern, he was seeing 20/20 with +0.50D OU. When I relaxed his focus and brought him to plano he was seeing 20/15 OU. I pulled back the phoropter and stuck my finger through the eye holes. He was confused as to why he was just seeing so well with nothing. I explained that his internal focus was getting locked up from all his smartphone screen time. I then had him look back at the chart, which was blurred from me getting close to him and locking up his focus again. His problem was not that he needed eyeglasses for distance but that he needed help relaxing his eyes at near. I like to use a +1.00D flipper in the exam lane to explain this to patients. In this case, I had him look at his phone as I placed the flipper in front of him. Holding it there, I explained that these lenses were relaxing his eyes at near and that when I removed them I wanted him to “feel” what his eyes are going through all day. Upon removal, he immediately pulled back and began blinking heavily. He understood quickly that his screen time was the problem and wanted to know how it could be fixed. For patients with digital eye strain, I use lenses that give a “boost” to the accommodative system, which helps relieve their symptoms. I use these “anti-fatigue” lenses every day, and the ones I use have a +0.57D, +0.95D or +1.32D in the near zone. In this case, I used a plano with +0.95D support, and the patient reported a significant improvement in his vision and accommodative stress. We are living in a new time with new visual demands, and we need to be aware of how they affect younger populations. n Thomas Gosling, OD is owner of Optical Matters in Littleton, CO. SEPTEMBER 2018 | DIGITAL EYE STRAIN + BLUE LIGHT | VCPN
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DIGITAL EYE STRAIN + BLUE LIGHT: VIEWS ON THE BLUES
Views on THE BLUES Blue light blocking lenses are doing things for my patients that eyeglasses don’t normally do.
By Gilan L Cockrell, OD, FAAO
M
any of us are aware of the potential dangers of blue light and its various impacts regarding our well being. These concerns are justified and, with consumer awareness at an all-time high, it is essential that we properly identify patient needs and address their concerns. Recent examples of blue light in the news created a buzz on this topic. The cover story of the August 2018 issue of National Geographic, “Sleep: Inside the New Science of Slumber,” was read by millions and picked up immediately by major news networks. It begins, “Our floodlit society has made sleep deprivation a lifestyle. But we know more than ever about how we rest — and how it keeps us healthy.” 1 In addition, CNN headlined an article, “Blue light like that from smartphones linked to some cancers, study finds” 2 on April 27, 2018. In our practice we regularly prescribe appropriate blue light lens options for dealing with our patient’s respective lifestyle needs. IMPACTS OF EXPOSURE Blue light at night suppresses the secretion of melatonin that in turn inhibits our cognitive ability. All digital devices (smartphones, tablets, computers and TVs) as well as LED and most energy-efficient lights have peak emittance at about 455 nanometers (nm). Blue light, in the range of 450nm to 500nm, is responsible for triggering the receptors in our retina to suppress the release of melatonin. Conversely, as we dramatically reduce the intensity of blue light in this range from reaching our retina, the suprachiasmatic nucleus signals the pineal gland to release melatonin, thus promoting regular sleep patterns. Devices and energy-efficient lights are telling our bodies to stay awake. Only lenses that block a significant percentage of blue light at peak emittance (about 455nm) and above will help stimulate melatonin regulation. Managing blue light exposure helps create the opportunity for maximal cognition during the day. (I don’t know about other people, but there haven’t been many days where I feel more intelligent than I need to be.) ONE SUCCESSFUL CASE The first patient whom I prescribed blue light blocking lenses presented with what appeared to me to be signs of sleep deprivation. When I questioned his mother about his sleep patterns she responded by regaling me with tales of his very poor sleep, poor academic performance as well as acting out in self-defeating ways. Further questioning
revealed that he spent many hours on his digital devices, as well as using them right up to bedtime. With great trepidation I discussed the innovation of blue light blocking lenses and their purported positive effects on melatonin regulation (now supported by studies such as Ryab-Quang Van’s presented at the AAO in September of 2017). The study revealed almost double the melatonin levels in the participants when wearing blue light blocking lenses after 6pm. I scheduled a six-week follow up. At the follow-up visit both the son and the mother had noticed a tremendous (her word) improvement in his sleep quality, interaction with others and academic performance. Although, his story is anecdotal, we continue to prescribe the same lenses to many more patients, both children and adults, with the same great results. The slight tint with these lenses is a product feature we promote to ensure that the full benefits of improved sleep and productivity are experienced. IMPROVED SLEEP AND COMFORT Eye strain and visual blur are created by blue light scattering both in the atmosphere and inside our eyes. Whether from the sun, digital devices or energy-efficient lighting, blue light creates haze and visual discomfort. THE GREAT OUTDOORS Outdoor blue light wavelengths are problematic across the entire blue light spectrum from 400nm to 500nm and are connected to potential macular cellular damage, eye strain and visual discomfort. We can all appreciate the effectiveness of glare reduction by polarized lenses. The newest development is blue light blocking polarized lenses with proprietary modification that allows all of the benefits of a premium polarized lens with the ability for enhanced digital screen viewing. Not only do they provide the patient with a higher level of protection from the sun’s potentially harmful blue light rays, they also offer dramatically improved contrast sensitivity and visual clarity versus regular tinted or standard polarized lenses. Additionally, users will also find greater ease when viewing digital devices. The result is the most effective color enhancing sun lens available. I encourage you to implement a blue light product strategy with your staff and offer your patients the best lenses to address their lifestyle needs, indoors and out. n Gilan L Cockrell, OD, FAAO, is CEO of Williams Group Consulting.
1. NationalGeographic.com/Magazine/2018/08/Science-of-Sleep/ 2. CNN.com/2018/04/27/Health/Artificial-Blue-Light-Prostate-Breast-Cancer-Study/index.html
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Americans check their phones 12 billion times a day.1 It’s no longer a question of who is using digital devices since 60% of Americans spend more than five hours a day on them.2 All this digital device use is affecting your patients’ eyes, and they may not know that new contact lens innovation can help their dry, tired eyes — two symptoms of digital eye fatigue. As eyecare professionals, it’s important to educate patients about the effects of digital device use and what they can do to help their discomfort.
Your patients rely on digital devices, and now there is a contact lens designed for their digital lifestyles. Biofinity Energys contact lenses are the breakthrough sphere innovation for monthly contact lens wearers to help with eye tiredness and dryness associated with digital eye fatigue. With the increase in digital device use, eyes require more near viewing. Prolonged digital device use can overwork ciliary muscles and cause eye tiredness and dryness. Biofinity Energys with Digital Zone Optics lens design can help reduce ciliary muscle stress during digital device use. 3
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9 out of 10 digital device users5 agreed that Biofinity Energys made their eyes feel good.6
8 out of 10 device users5 agreed that Biofinity Energys made their eyes feel less tired.6
Biofinity Energys are the only contact lenses with Digital Zone Optics lens design to help with eye tiredness associated with digital eye fatigue and Aquaform Technology to help with eye dryness. Globally, nearly four out of five contact lens wearers are interested in exploring ways to reduce their eye tiredness with an eyecare professional, yet only 14% of contact lens wearers report that they or their eyecare professionals bring up digital device use during appointments.4 Digital is the new norm, so why would you prescribe a contact lens that isn’t designed to meet your patients’ digital lifestyles? n
1. 2017 Deloitte Global Mobile Consumer Survey: The Dawn of the Next Era in Mobile 2. The Vision Council 2016 Digital Eye Strain Report: Eyes Overexposed, the Digital Device Dilemma 3. Prospective, multi-center (nine sites), subject-masked, bilateral wear, cross-over, non-dispensing study comparing the difference of the change in AMF frequency measured by the Accommodative Function Analyzer instrument (AFA). Based on a statistically significant difference of the mean change of Accommodative Microfluctuations and when compared to Biofinity sphere after reading on an iPhone for 20 minutes held at a distance of 25 cm. 4. CooperVision Digital Device Usage and Your Eyes Report, 2018 5. Among patients who use digital devices at least 4 hours per day at least 5 days per week and self-report symptoms of eye fatigue at least once per week. 6. After one week of wear; data on file.
CooperVision, Inc. Biofinity.com/Energys 800.341.2020
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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II
Helping Eyewear Patients
ATTAIN VISUAL COMFORT COURTESY OF CLEARVISION OPTICAL
APPROVAL: ABO APPROVED FOR 1 HOUR, TECHNICAL, LEVEL II ONLINE COURSE: STWFV030-2 ISSUE DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2018 EXPIRATION DATE: JULY 1, 2023 APPROVAL: This course has been approved for one hour of Technical, Level II continuing education credit by the American Board of Opticianry. NOTE: This course is only available with online testing. Please see instructions at the end. COURSE DESCRIPTION: Eyecare professionals strive every day to help their patients achieve visual comfort. That goal is praiseworthy, but its implementation can be challenging, especially in view of the living and working environments today’s patients experience and their extensive use of digital devices at work and at home. These factors can lead to visual discomfort. This course indicates the sources of visual discomfort for eyewear patients due to illumination and other environmental conditions, digital eye strain and blue light absorption, and offers helpful suggestions for providing comfortable solutions. 40
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By Ed De Gennaro, MEd, ABOM
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According to The Vision Council, slightly more that three-quarters of the adult population in the United States wears some form of vision correction (Rx eyeglasses, contact lenses or reading glasses). With over 75% of the population using corrective eyewear, the goal of helping achieve visual comfort reaches a huge majority of Americans. No matter how accurate the correcting lens power or powers or how attractive the eyewear may be, if the patient is uncomfortable with the correcting product, they’ll be miserable wearing it … or worse, stop wearing it. The topic of visual comfort has several contributing factors. Fortunately, the human visual system is adaptive and tolerates optical and environmental factors that are not conducive to visual comfort. Even so, with continued exposure to these factors, the patient is likely to develop symptoms. If you’re sincere about providing your patients the best visual comfort, it’ll be helpful to understand the factors that affect it and what you can do to promote it for them. LIGHTING A lot of research on visual comfort centers on lighting in the workplace. As an
ophthalmic practitioner, you didn’t have input into your patient’s workplace design, but you’re confronted by its consequences. The best defense here is to understand the fundamental principles of workplace lighting so you can make recommendations for environmental and optical solutions. Lighting and colors in our surroundings affect our mood and level of fatigue. That’s why workplace spaces should be carefully designed for ergonomic functionality and visual comfort. According to the ILO (The International Labour Organization, an agency of the United Nations), “Visual disorders associated with deficiencies in the illumination system are common in the workplace.” The ILO suggests each workstation be designed properly for the intended purpose by professional lighting personnel. This implies that a “cookie cutter” approach often used in lighting systems in settings such as large office buildings be reconsidered for more individual systems. The ILO lists the following factors as prerequisites for attaining visual comfort in the workplace: • uniform illumination • optimal luminance • no glare • adequate contrast conditions • correct colors • absence of stroboscopic effect or intermittent light
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ENVIRONMENTAL SOLUTIONS Some solutions will not require optical products. For example, some overhead fluorescent lights recessed into a white ceiling can be intense and overwhelm a person under them many hours a day. The fix might be moving the person to another location in the office or wearing a visor or hat with a brim in this environment. Other simple fixes might be moving lights to different locations, changing bulb intensity or bulb temperature (which affects the color of the light, such as cool white, bright white, warm white, etc.). Dark walls or ceilings or starkly contrasting colors on these surfaces can be troublesome. While many environments use light, subtle colors, others do not, which may need to be addressed by the worker’s employer. Glare from equipment might also be managed with a simple, non-optical solution. Simply adding a shade or some other filtering device over the lamp may solve the problem. Always search for the simplest solution first. While obvious, providing the correct lens powers for the tasks your patient performs is the foundational element of visual comfort to which all other solutions are added. Tinted lenses may soothe vision by managing light intensity, quality and contrast. Antireflective lenses are a good option because they eliminate the glare created on the lenses from bright digital screens. DIGITAL EYE STRAIN In the last few years, The Vision Council has raised awareness about an enormous problem, digital eye strain. With the increased use of digital devices in the workplace and at home, people around the world are spending significant time staring at their digital device
screens. This often results in an array of visual and physical discomfort symptoms The Vision Council collectively labeled digital eye strain. According to The Vision Council’s data, “More than 83% of Americans report using digital devices for more than two hours per day, and 53.1% report using two digital devices simultaneously, with 60.5% reporting experiencing symptoms of digital eye strain.” It’s common for young people to use digital devices for five hours or more each day,
and intermediate viewing places stress on the patient’s accommodation system. Remaining in a stationary posture for prolonged times can also create symptoms. When someone stares at a screen, their blink rate declines, which can cause dry eye symptoms. The glare from digital devices is also a contributing factor because it reduces clarity of the screen’s image, reduces contrast, and can cause visual confusion for the user. Another concern is the blue light that digital devices emit.
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according to some industry sources. Digital device usage cuts across nearly all age groups. For example, 87.7% of those ages 18 to 39, 82.6% of those ages 40 to 59, and 76.3% of those ages 60 and up report using a digital device more than two hours a day. Using a digital device this long is easy for many people, especially if they use a computer at home and/or at work, have a smartphone, and perhaps also have a tablet. Americans have come to rely on their digital devices for much of the information they gather and the work they wish to do. For example: • 75.6% use a computer to do research • 56.6% use a smartphone as an alarm clock • 54.2% use a computer to go shopping • 53.7% use a smartphone to check the weather • 48.7% use a computer to find a recipe Young children are often left with tablets or smartphones to occupy their time, with many spending countless hours each day with one. Most digital devices require near and intermediate vision while using the device in a mostly stationary position. Over time, this often results in eye strain, dry eyes, headaches, neck and shoulder pain, and blurred vision, the symptoms of digital eye strain. Prolonged near
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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II
Factors other than lighting contribute to visual discomfort. Examples include the nature of the work being done, the visual distances of the work, what types of digital equipment the worker is using, the number of continuous working hours, and the physical and psychological stressors in the workplace. What all this suggests is that when you’re interviewing a patient complaining of visual discomfort symptoms, include questions about their lighting and environment (both indoors and outdoors). Armed with this information (and other environmental, optical and medical information), you’ll be able to develop appropriate solutions.
ADDRESSING DIGITAL EYE STRAIN Thomas Gosling, OD, a private practice optometrist and owner of Optical Matters in Littleton, CO, shared that from his experience, “Digital eye strain is a huge problem because the use of smartphones, tablets and computers has become nearly universal, especially among young people.” He added, “I ask every patient nine questions related to digital eye strain. I’m seeing more young people with symptoms because of tasks like gaming, watching Netflix, texting, viewing social media, using apps, etc. Many of them are using their devices for six or more hours a day.” These are the symptoms Gosling screens for as indicators of digital eye strain (in the order he encounters them in his office): • fluctuating vision • tired eyes • headaches • body fatigue • dry eyes • light sensitivity • eye rubbing • poor night vision • reduced concentration 41
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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II
While young people have a great accommodative system, Gosling feels the accommodative system was not designed to look at near devices for long periods of time. “Many kids are holding their devices too close, somewhere between four inches and eight inches, and more are complaining of digital eye strain,” he recalled. “Some of it is due to the screens being small, and some of it is because little children have shorter arms than adults, but some of it is caused by their accommodation locking up,” Gosling explained. “This happens when the ciliary body inside the eye locks in position and won’t relax. This causes them to hold their digital device even closer, which tightens the muscle further. This cycle continues until they are holding their device inches from their eyes.” The problem spills over to distance vision. Since their accommodative system is locked, these young patients experience pseudo myopia because their accommodation won’t relax. Gosling uses a refraction sequence that relaxes their accommodation, so they can discover why they’re having digital eye strain symptoms. It’s a clever technique. With older patients, Gosling usually gets complaints of having difficulty seeing at night. Gosling’s “go-to” optical solution for digital eye strain is anti-fatigue lenses that have a modest plus power boost in the lower portion of the lens that gains progressively from a stable distance power. Think of it as a weak progressive addition lens. They provide a small amount of plus power for intermediate and reading tasks so the user’s accommodation works less, thereby easing symptoms. These lenses are offered in a series. For example, one company offers three lenses with power boosts of +0.57D, +0.95D and +1.32D. Another offers power boosts of +0.40, +0.60D and +0.85D. These lenses can also have anti-reflective coating to eliminate glare on the surfaces of the lens and blue light absorbers. Some patients may also opt for lightly tinted lenses. Incidentally, these lenses are fitted like progressive lenses, so you’ll provide monocular PDs and fitting heights for each eye. This is because the power boost zone must be positioned properly. Because the power boost is weak in these lenses, aberration and distortion are essentially unperceivable.
symptoms is for patients to give their eyes a rest from near and intermediate tasks. To give people something simple to remember, The Vision Council promotes the 20/20/20 rule — every 20 minutes, look away from your digital device at something 20 feet or further for at least 20 seconds. It’s simple; 20/20/20 mimics 20/20 vision (which nearly everyone recognizes as good vision), and it’s catchy, so they’ll remember it. While the technique has never been evaluated experimentally, it derives from research done by the rule’s creator, Jeffrey Anshel, OD, who uncovered that shorter, more frequent breaks benefited musculoskeletal disorders. With that understanding, he adapted the concept for the visual system. The important takeaway is digital device users need frequent breaks to rest their eyes and change their body position. That doesn’t mean getting up from the computer for a break at work and grabbing a smartphone to catch up on a Twitter account. It means doing something that relaxes your eyes from near and intermediate viewing while also relaxing your body. BLUE LIGHT While it’s been known for decades that blue light (those wavelengths from 380nm to 500nm as defined by the American National Standards Institute) enters the eye and reaches the retina, recent literature has indicated harmful effects of blue light from different portions of the blue light spectrum, which can be divided like this: • scattered haze from 380nm to 420nm • retinal/macular effects from 430nm to 450nm • melatonin suppression from 460nm to 480nm
Blue light has the shortest wavelengths of all visible light and therefore delivers the most energy to whatever it encounters. Blue light scatters when it encounters minute particles, such as water vapor in the sky, which makes the sky appear blue. Scattering blue light in the eye can cause a veiling glare that reduces contrast and clear vision. It’s particularly a concern for the elderly (whose ocular media has floaters and other particulates) and those with corneal opacities, developing cataracts, intraocular lens implants, and LASIK surgery. A correctly powered lens for a patient will have its blue light component focus in front of the retina (while the green focuses on the retina and the red focuses behind it). A lens can have as much as 1.00D of myopic defocus, which Gosling believes, “… is causing the accommodation system to seek its focus. Because of this, the blink rate diminishes, and the eyes become dry and stressed in general, leading to progressive myopia.” INDOOR VS. OUTDOOR Experts on the blue light topic suggest that no one solution is perfect in all lighting situations and recommend that a separate indoor and outdoor solution be provided. According to Greg Naes, president of BluTech, Inc., “If you’re not filtering blue wavelengths from digital devices, you’re not impacting digital eye strain. If you’re not filtering 455nm, there’s not much point in wearing the solution.” This is because light from LED screens peaks at 455nm and drops off sharply on each side to 420nm and 480nm, so these screens give off energy that may impact both sleep cycles and the retina. “What they don’t give off is much in the 380nm to 420nm range
20/20/20 RULE One way to relieve digital eye strain COURTESY OF VSP
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SLEEP Chou detailed several studies that support blue light influences on circadian rhythms (the body’s 24-hour biological clock), melatonin suppression and the sleep/wake cycle. “The retina,” Chou said, “has intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). These are light receptors that don’t give sight but send signals to the pineal gland in the brain that regulates
ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II
(the ‘scatter’ wavelengths),” Naes noted. Gosling thinks photochromic blue light lenses offer the best protection overall because the sun provides 100 to 500 times more blue light intensity (according to Transitions Optical) than any common digital device and delivers the full blue light spectrum. He feels they deliver greater blue light protection outdoors at around 85% and about 20% indoors in their clear state. Naes added, “Photochromic lenses offer about 11% blue light absorption indoors at 455nm, which is not enough for indoor protection against digital devices. AR-treated blue light treatments offer 2% to 8.7% absorption at 455nm. BluTech has four solutions that provide 42% to 60% blue light absorption, depending on the product. Brian Chou, OD, FAAO, in private practice in San Diego, CA, at ReVision Optometry, feels, “Adjusting a digital device’s blue light screen filter can effectively reduce blue light emissions from digital devices, but photochromic lenses offer a more systemic protection for both indoors and outdoors.” Naes suggests that eyewear lenses also do a much better and more reliable job than device screen filters. All three professionals agree that the biggest contributor to blue light exposure is outdoors, not indoors, and they all recommend sunglasses to mitigate the dangers of UV and blue light outdoors. “Outdoors, the sun doesn’t discriminate,” Naes noted. “You’re getting the full blue light range of 400nm to 500nm.” “Like indoors, there are two challenges, glare from the sun and blue light. Polarized lenses are great, but they make viewing some objects like smartphone screens difficult because of the polarizing filter, but they increase contrast, color saturation and reduce bright light. Ideally, if we could handle blue light and provide glare reduction while being able to use digital devices outside, that would be ideal,” Naes recommended.
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COURTESY OF ESSILOR
melatonin production. Blue light in the 460nm to 480nm range suppresses melatonin production, which inhibits you from getting sleepy.” Some people in places such as Seattle, WA, and Anchorage, AK, suffer from seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression caused by a lack of sunlight. Naes warns of a massive sleep epidemic and indicates the science of blue light and sleep cycles has a long history. According The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a third of U.S. adults report that they usually get less than the recommended amount of sleep. He said, “You don’t want to be exposed to 459nm to 484nm wavelengths (associated with the sleep/wake cycle) at night, especially before bedtime. It’s not just about melatonin suppression; humans need some blue light to get them going throughout the day. We’re still cavemen/women by DNA, so at night we’re supposed to go back to our dark caves and secrete melatonin, which facilitates a deep restful night’s sleep. Instead, we come home, break out our tablets and smartphones for hours, and get exposed to blue light, which confuses our body and interrupts the sleep/ wake cycle. Even if you fall asleep, you
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don’t get deep REM sleep; you get duration sleep.” For potential relief of eye strain from blue light, Naes suggests the lens needs to absorb at least 30% of the wavelengths at around 455nm. RETINAL CELL DEATH “There are a number of studies that implicate short wavelength visible light causing damage to the retinal pigment epithelium cells, the photo receptors and ganglion cells,” Chou explained. These lab studies were done with rodents, primates and human cell cultures. He said, “While these studies showed retinal cell damage under specific parameters, there is no definitive proof yet that blue light causes macular degeneration or other retinal conditions in humans. At the moment, the level of evidence is that blue light may be a contributing factor to retinal disease, but it doesn’t have the high level of evidence-based support like UV does.” Based on studies Gosling mentioned, he feels that 430nm poses the greatest potential for retinal disturbance. There are lots of blue light products in the marketplace, and they provide varying levels of blue light absorption. If you’re concerned about retinal harm, adding sun protection makes lots of sense because sunlight is 100 to 500 times stronger than 43
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ABO TECHNICAL LEVEL II COURTESY OF VSP
interior light and delivers the full spectrum of blue light. BOOTS LAWSUIT ECPs are putting themselves at risk of lawsuit by claiming blue light prevents retinal diseases such as age-related macular degeneration or other retinal damage. Boots Opticians in England was fined £40,000 by the General Optical Council (a British regulatory agency). The Council ruled that Boots had overstated the claims that blue light from smartphones, LED TVs, and energy-saving light bulbs caused damage to the retina and that their blue-blocking lenses protected against this. The Council found no compelling evidence of this claim and fined Boots. Gosling, Chou and Naes all echoed the same caution about claims of blue light lenses protecting the eye from retinal cell death and pointed to the lack of human-based research with emphatic evidence of this potential connection. Chou and others cited a study on retinal cell death in animals that indicated intense blue light at 435nm creating a disturbance in retinal cells. This is the study often cited when claims of a connection between blue light and potential retinal harm. In view of the Boots sanctioning, practitioners should take a cautious approach to claims of retinal harm due to blue light. The most you might claim is there may be a connection to retinal diseases. Naes, Gosling and Chou all recommend focusing on benefits to the sleep cycle and blue light scatter. Naes suggests that ECPs have a “duty to inform” (like they do with impact-resistant lenses) with blue light protection so 44
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every patient should be told about the effects of blue light on digital eye strain, sleep deprivation and perhaps the potential that blue light may pose for the retina. FURTHER THOUGHTS Some doctors caution that some young myopic children shouldn’t get blue light protecting lenses because research has shown that spending two hours a day outdoors is associated with less myopic progression and that the blue light within sunlight may be what is inhibiting childhood myopic progression. The fear is that suppressing sunlight with photochromics or blue light outdoor lenses will negate that sunlight benefit and encourage myopic progression. Chou mentioned that it is premature at this stage for practitioners to make such recommendations ahead of the evidence, and that instead, there is still good rationale for children to wear
photochromic lenses for the UV protection and light adaptive comfort. Chou cautioned, “Not all blue light is harmful. It can help regulate circadian rhythms, it can help elevate mood, and there is evidence that it may regulate myopia progression. If someone blocks all blue light indiscriminately, in the worst-case scenario, they might cause depression, sleeping troubles and myopic progression. Blue light penlights have become a common demonstration aid in helping patients understand that lenses can absorb blue light. But Naes pointed out that these penlights emit 405nm +/- 10nm, which is not the wavelength range you want to reduce from digital device screens. Because of this, he recommends not using them. LED street lights and indoor compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs also give off high levels of blue light. CFL bulbs have spikes of blue at 435nm, and LEDs peak at 450nm. As these products become widely used indoors and outdoors, concern for blue light protection from them has grown. Essentially, these products are surrounding us with blue light emissions where older technology didn’t. Helping patients attain visual comfort indoors and outdoors is a multifaceted task, but with good questioning, an understanding of digital eye strain and the optics of lenses and treatments, you’ll be able to make the right recommendations, some of which have no optical component at all. n Ed De Gennaro, MEd, ABOM, is editor emeritus of First Vision Media Group.
This course is ONLY available for online testing. TO TAKE THE TEST ONLINE: Go to VisionCareProducts.com/Education 1. Under the black Log-In Bar, – log in (Note: If you have not registered on our new sites since September 2017 use the “register” link to register for online education, and record your user name and password for future access.) 2. Click on the course you would like to complete. 3. Review the course materials. 4. T ake the test, and at the end of the course, after you submit your answers, your results will automatically appear on your screen! 5. All passing tests will automatically be submitted to ABO at the beginning of each month. You may print a copy of your certificate for your records. SEPTEMBER 2018 | DIGITAL EYE STRAIN + BLUE LIGHT | VCPN
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DIGITAL EYE STRAIN + BLUE LIGHT: A RESEARCH APPROACH TO BLUE LIGHT AND THE EYE
A Research Approach to
BLUE LIGHT + THE EYE COURTESY OF PPG
By Brian Chou, OD, FAAO, FSLS
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ith all the confusion surrounding this topic it’s helpful to understand some of the studies that indicate how blue light may be affecting the eyes. The light spectrum contains many more wavelengths than humans can see. Frequencies of light include microwaves, radio waves and x-rays, to name a few. The visible spectrum is only a very thin portion of wavelengths between 380nm and 780nm. The highest energy of the visible spectrum is immediately adjacent to the UV spectrum and is just above 380nm (typically noted as 380nm to 460nm). This high energy blue light scatters in the atmosphere and is the reason why the sky appears blue. Blue light makes up 25-30% of daylight. 1 Blue light is also produced by light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lighting is widely found in digital technologies such as televisions, smartphones and tablets. A 2016 report from The Vision Council found that 60% of Americans use digital devices for more than five hours each day, and 70% use at least two or more devices at one time. 2 From an ocular health perspective, it has been long known that blue light is toxic to certain ocular structures. The longer the wavelength, the higher the proportion that passes through the cornea and reaches the lens and retina. On average, the human cornea absorbs wavelengths below 300nm, and the lens absorbs those below 400nm. Upon closer analysis, though, this changes throughout life as a clear crystalline lens at birth and in childhood years transmits light at 300nm+, whereas an adult (and a more yellow crystalline lens) transmits at 400nm+. Protection of children’s eyes is especially important since transmittance is greatest at a younger age, allowing higher levels of UV and blue light to reach the lens and retina. 3 The retina is posed a risk as it absorbs light over 400nm. 4 Given that the spectrum of high-energy blue light is known to be 380nm to 460nm, there is a portion of blue light that is problematic. Ocular exposure to light around 435nm (+/- 20nm) can induce irreversible cell death in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). 5 Historically, there have been several large-scale population studies that have demonstrated the ocular risk from blue light. The
Multiple studies on the sources and effects of blue light have demonstrated ocular risk, but it may take more research over several more years to fully understand its impact. Chesapeake Bay Waterman Study had several iterations of meta-analysis, and an association was identified between cumulative blue light exposure and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Similarly, the Beaver Dam Eye Study concluded that exposure to bright visible light might be associated with AMD. Finally, the Visual Impairment Project suggested that individuals with more sunlight exposure are at a significantly increased risk for AMD. 4 As such, sunlight (and more specifically, cumulative blue light) has been identified as a risk factor for AMD. There is a specific photosensitive visual pigment that appears to be involved in this retinal toxicity, and it is referred to as A2E (N-retinylidene-N-retinylethanolamine). A 2013 study defined the most toxic wavelengths of light in an in-vitro model. Their conclusion was that the most loss of retinal cell viability occurred between 415nm and 455nm. 5 What is additionally worrisome is that retinal cell death occurs via apoptosis (a continual cascade of death of neighboring cells) and is likely what makes AMD visually destructive. 6 There does exist some confusion as to where the risk of ocular damage originates. It should be explained that the sun emits over 100 times the amount of blue light than digital devices or LEDs. Though we spend many hours per day on illuminated screens and computer technologies, it has been proposed that the blue light hazard from digital devices may not approach dangerous limits. 7 What is known, though, is that digital device usage can wreak havoc on our sleep patterns by interfering with human circadian rhythms. In the absence of blue light, ganglion cells in the human retina stimulate the pineal gland of the brain to release melatonin, a hormone that lets our bodies know it is time for sleep. This is in stark contrast to the presence of blue light, which suppresses melatonin production so our bodies are alert, energized and ready for work and play. This is a problem as 76% of Americans look at their digital devices in the hour before attempting to go to sleep. 2, 8 n Brian Chou, OD, FAAO, FSLS, is in private practice in San Diego at ReVision Optometry.
1. Baillet G., Granger B., How Transitions Lenses Filter Harmful Blue Light, Points de Vue, International Review of Ophthalmic Optics, online publication, March 2016 PointsdeVue.com/article/ How-Transitions-Lenses-Filter-Harmful-Blue-Light. 2. The Vision Council. 2016 Digital Eye Strain Report TheVisionCouncil.org/Digital-Eye-Strain-Report-2016 3. Behar-Cohen F., Baillet G., De Ayguavives T., Ortega García P., Krutmann J., Peña-García P., Reme C., Wolffsohn J.S., Ultraviolet damage to the eye revisited: eye-sun protection factor (E-SPF), a new ultraviolet protection label for eyewear, Clin. Ophthalmol. 8 (2014) 87-104 NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov/pubmed/24379652 4. Yam J.C., Kwok A.K., Ultraviolet light and ocular diseases, Int. Ophthalmol. 34 (2014) 383-400 NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov/pubmed/23722672 5. Arnault E. Barrau C, Nanteau C. Gondouin P, Bigot K, et al. Phototoxic Action Spectrum on a Retinal Pigment Epithelium Model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, PlosOne 8 (2013) http://DX.DOI.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0071398 6. Sparrow J.R., Nakanishi K., Parish C.A., The Lipofuscin Fluorophore A2E Mediates Blue Light-Induced Damage to Retinal Pigmented Epithelial Cells, Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 41 (2000) 1981-1989 NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov/pubmed/10845625 7. O’Hagan J.B., Khazova M., Price L.L.A., Low-energy light bulbs, computers, tablets and the blue light hazard, Eye (2016) Nature.com/eye/journal/v30/n2/full/eye2015261a.html 8. Gronfier, C., The Good Blue and Chronobiology: Light and Non-Visual Functions, Points de Vue, International Review of Ophthalmic Optics, N68, Spring, 2013 PointsdeVue.com/article/Good-Blue-and-Chronobiology-Light-and-Non-Visual-Functions
VCPN | DIGITAL EYE STRAIN + BLUE LIGHT | SEPTEMBER 2018
45
The Gold Standard for
Blue Light Protection Blocks out up to
17x More Blue Light Where it Matters 455 nm is the peak point at which LED and digital devices emit blue light (and where comparisons should be made)
Blue light from 450 nm to 500 nm disrupts melatonin production, affecting your sleep cycle.
1.56
poly
Blue Light Blocking Clear Lenses Blue Light Blocking AR Coatings
Clinically proven to increase melatonin levels by 96%. Enjoy better sleep and more productivity when you wear BluTech. BluTech prescription available through your wholesale lab. BluTech plano eyewear available though ClearVisionÂŽ Optical www.cvoptical.com 1.800.258.5902 | www.BluTechLenses.com
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EXTREME CLOSEUP. SPONSORED CONTENT
Combat
THE BLUES Protecting your patients from blue light builds a path toward health, happiness and higher productivity.
DETAILS
BACK STORY
Sleep is essential for maintaining good health and improved cognitive performance while awake. However, sleeplessness is becoming a worldwide epidemic that is making us unhealthy and less productive. Eyecare professionals are in a unique position to combat the problem by prescribing products specifically designed to improve sleep and educate patients about the major contributor to sleep loss . . . artificial blue light from 450nm to 500nm.
BluTech highly advanced lenses are infused with proprietary patented pigments and dyes that protect your eyes from sleep-disruptive blue light, while maintaining true-to-life color. The “secret sauce” is part of the lens matrix and will never fade or wear out. Embrace the unique color of BluTech lenses as the signal of healthy vision! If not used as a primary pair, BluTech is the perfect second pair for maintaining good health and improved cognition.
WOW FACTOR User testimonials play an important role that BluTech lenses are doing what they were designed for. “BluTech lenses have become an indispensable tool in protecting my patients’ eyes over the past two years. The feedback patients have been giving us speaks clearly on the ability of this technology to bring relief to our patients’ tired, strained eyes when spending long hours in front of digital devices. I can see a clear difference in the protection BluTech lenses provide. This is why I’ve prescribed BluTech lenses for my own kids and family and use them myself daily,” said Rita Ellent, OD, The Gardens Eye Care, Forest Hills, NY. n
SLEEP LOSS STATS
Source: Tired at Work. How Fatigue Affects our Bodies. National Safety Council 2018.
BluTech Lenses BluTechLenses.com Info@BluTechLenses.com 800.258.5902
VCPN | DIGITAL EYE STRAIN + BLUE LIGHT | SEPTEMBER 2018
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HARMFUL BLUE LIGHT PROTECTION FOR EVERY PATIENT, EVERY DAY
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Learn more at essilorusa.com/essentialblue *Standard clear lenses filter approximately 5% of Harmful Blue Light. 1 Arnault E, Barrau C, Nanteau C, Gondouin P, Bigot K, et al. (2013). Phototoxic Action Spectrum on a Retinal Pigment Epithelium Model of Age-Related Macular Degeneration Exposed to Sunlight Normalized Conditions. PLoS ONE 8(8): e71398. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0071398 (August 23, 2013). Identified Harmful Blue Light through in vitro experiment on swine retinal cells, where the most toxic wavelengths are high energy visible light falling between 415-455nm on the light spectrum (blue-violet light).
©2018 Essilor of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Unless indicated otherwise, all registered trademarks and trademarks are the property of Essilor International and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and in other countries. These products may be protected by one or more patents listed at www.essilorusa.com/patents.
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New. Launch
SAFILO WOMEN’S COLLECTION
TOP LEFT AND RIGHT: CIGLIA 02, BOTTOM LEFT: TRATTO 05
Safilo’s line of five ophthalmic models feature the Elasta titanium double-spring e-hinge and ergonomic nosepads that are available in two sizes. A feminine color palette of classic colors such as black, blue and striped havana are complemented by translucent pink and purple, as well as tone-on-tone and bi-colors. Frames are constructed in acetate or a metal/ acetate combination, and each model’s name reflects its design features, such as Ciglia 02, named for the word meaning “eyelashes” because of its metal insert in contrasted colors on the brow line, and Profilo 06, which means “outline” in reference to the laser treatment used on the outline of the frame. 800.631.1188 Safilo.com
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AJC0208
COSTA UNTANGLED COLLECTION Costa’s Untangled Collection is composed of two styles constructed of recycled nylon fishing nets and PLUSfoam Hydrolite recyclable rubber. The rectangle-shaped model 100 features textured, recycled nylon on the brow bar with adjustable stainless steel on the bridge, lower rim and front temple and comes in three color combinations: black metal with gray rubber tips, shiny brushed light gunmetal with royal blue rubber temple grips and matte brushed gold metal with burgundy rubber temple grips. The cat eye 110 model incorporates recycled nylon on the upper brow line and temples and features pops of color on the PLUSfoam Hydrolite temple tips. Three available color combinations are shiny brushed gold metal with teal rubber temple grips, matte brushed rose gold metal with red rubber temple grips and matte brushed light gunmetal with royal blue rubber temple grips. 800.447.3700 B2B.CostaDelMar.com AJC0247
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New.
WESTGROUPE FYSH
AVALON EYEWEAR
STYLE: F-3615
This modified cat eyeshaped ophthalmic for women includes a metal inlay along the brow line and is constructed of animalprinted Mazzucchelli acetate. Iridescent colors in either leopard, chameleon or purple shift shades in the light. 855.455.0042 WestGroupe.com
DUTZ EYEWEAR
DE RIGO REM CONVERSE
ZYLOWARE EYEWEAR
LE GRAND
FALL/WINTER COLLECTION
STYLE: Q118
LEON MAX
STYLE: 3718
STYLE: SNF0013 KOPIE
Four extra-large fit models for men feature mixed materials and classic colors accented with textured trim details. All styles include spring hinges and range in sizes from 58mm to 61mm with 150 to155mm temple lengths.
This ophthalmic collection takes inspiration from the 1980s with eye-catching textures such as plaids and earthy prints, blackand-white monochrome, and shades of green, such as martini olive and quetzal.
Featuring a sleek lightweight stainless steel silhouette, Q118 incorporates a rounded profile and a floating top bar with flattened temples accented with a racing stripe Converse logo as a nod to the iconic Chuck Taylor sneaker. Spring hinges and adjustable nosepads provide a comfortable fit.
888.767.0383 AvalonEyewear.com
949.215.9661 DutzEyewear.com
818.504.3950 DeRigo.com
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STYLE: LM-4062
Taking a cue from architecture and modern design, style LM-4062 is a full-rim zyl, cat eye that incorporates spring hinges and a raised upper brow line in a contrasting color. It comes in three color combinations: khaki/tortoise, black/crystal and black/cream tortoise. 800.765.3700 Zyloware.com
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New. Special Collections MAUI JIM Four sun styles — Alekona, Mele, Kami and Sugar Cane — include SuperThin (ST) glass lenses for clear vision. Both Alekona and Mele are constructed of nylon and incorporate saddle-style fixed bridges, embedded nosepads and spring hinges. Alekona is available in three colors: black with tokyo tortoise, caramel with blue and mossy/blush/peach, while the Mele comes in black with gray tortoise, translucent dark chocolate with blue and mossy/blush/peach. The oversized metal aviator Kami style features a double bridge, adjustable, non-slip silicone nosepads, rubber ear pieces and comes in gold with white, silver with navy blue and gunmetal. Sugar Cane, also made with nylon, is available in lilac sunset, transparent gray, transparent mocha, and gloss black.
KAMI
ALEKONA
SUGAR CANE
888.399.7742 MauiJim.com
VL18130005
GU7546
GU2663
VL18130005
VUARNET
MARCOLIN
The collection features stainless steel frames with a stainless steel “visor” delivering 180° protection against glare in five color combinations. Styles are available in three shapes: pilot, round and caravan (square). Models come with mineral glass lenses for maximum protection.
One sun model and one ophthalmic model are embellished with a pink metal ribbon on the temple tips to symbolize breast cancer awareness. The GU2663 ophthalmic is a double-laminated, modified rectangle-shaped frame with a thin front profile in acetate, while GU7546 sun is a retro-inspired, modified square front with soft gradient lenses. Both feature a black front with a light pink back.
CAP METAL
914.292.1290 Vuarnet.com
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GUESS EYEWEAR 2018 EYEWEAR CAPSULE COLLECTION
800.345.8482 Marcolin.com
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BOOTH G21030
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8/31/18 8:10 AM
New.
OKO PARIS
SD EYES
L’AMY AMERICA
MONDOTTICA
KID’OKO
CAFÉ BOUTIQUE
ZOOBUG
CHARMANT EYEWEAR
STYLE: KID KING C03
STYLE: CB1056
ANN TAYLOR LUXURY COLLECTION
STYLE: ZB1025
ESPRIT
Mazzucchelli acetate and metal models come in rectangular and oval shapes. Style KidQueen for girls is available in tortoise/ plum, purple/mauve, tortoise/rose and red crystal/red, while KidKing for boys comes in matte black, tortoise/blue, blue gradient and navy blue with red/black highlights.
This women’s style incorporates crystal pavé accents that swoop upward and wrap from the temple to the front, creating an elegant affect on this rectangular-shaped frame. Constructed of zyl, style CB1056 is available in tortoise and caviar (black).
888.716.2020 OkoParis.com
800.962.3200 SDeyewear.com
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STYLE: AT008
Two full-rimmed, acetate styles incorporate crystal detailing on the temples. Model AT008 is teacupshaped with a soft brow line. Spring hinges provide flexibility and comfort, and the style comes in three color choices: black/ tortoise, tortoise/teal and fuchsia tortoise/black.
This one-piece model was designed for fashionforward children with an active lifestyle. Made with a virtually indestructible durable rubber and an adjustable flex-hinge, model ZB1025 includes easy-to-adjust earlocks for comfortable daily wear. Available in lilac, navy, green and blue.
203.761.0611 LamyAmerica.com
866.666.3662 MondotticaUSA.com
STYLE:ET17553
This full-rim model pays homage to the mixed media trend with stainless steel temples and a TR-90 front. The frame shape is mostly round with uplifted edges, giving it a subtle cat-eye look. Spring-hinged temples provide flexibility for petite sizes and are available in black, havana, and purple. 800.645.2121 Charmant.com
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Extreme Closeup.
SPONSORED CONTENT
graceful
ELEGANCE
EXQUISITELY FEMININE, CH CAROLINA HERRERA EXUDES THE REFINED SOPHISTICATION OF ITS FOUNDING DESIGNER.
DETAILS Bringing a casual elegance to every aspect of one’s life, CH Carolina Herrera personifies a playful spirit and effortless style. Underscored with lightweight and refined features, the latest optical collection of feminine frames for fall offers an element of surprise with asymmetrical details, unique logo treatments and a variation of colorful and delicate inlays that are the perfect balance of simplicity and sophistication.
BACK STORY Established in 2001, CH Carolina Herrera is a modern lifestyle sportswear brand that embodies the graceful elegance
and refinement of its founding designer, Carolina Herrera. Proving each season that sensibility paired in tandem with femininity and sophistication was a winning recipe for effortless style, CH Carolina quickly became a household name, receiving international acclaim for her signature looks. Speaking to a broad customer base, the brand offers a wide variety of readyto-wear, accessories, fragrance and specialty items. As a result of the success of Carolina Herrera’s namesake label, CH has established a globally recognized aesthetic with over 140 stores and 15,000 points of sale worldwide.
WOW FACTOR A trailblazer of style and design, Carolina Herrera has been on the forefront of American fashion for the past 37 years, distinguishing herself as one of the most celebrated designers of all time. In addition to the renowned brand name and product, a strong range of marketing tools are available from cohesive co-op packages to pointof-purchase merchandising including floor and table displays, mirrors, logo plaques, countercards and more. For an exclusive preview of the newest collection, stop by De Rigo REM’s booth #G23035 at Vision Expo West. n
De Rigo REM DeRigo.US CustomerService@DeRigo.US 800.423.3023 V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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Wrap Lenses.
HANDLING
WILEY X: WX HAYDEN
the curves
PUTTING RX LENSES INTO A WRAP FRAME POSES OPTICAL ISSUES THAT MUST BE OVERCOME. HERE’S HOW ECPS CAN ADDRESS THIS STEEP-BASE DILEMMA.
T
wo issues must be considered when producing lenses for wrap eyewear: compensating for both the frame’s curvature and its wrap angle. Normally, the front base curve of the lens is dictated by the patient’s Rx. With wrap sunwear, however, the front base curve of the lens must conform to the frame’s curvature, which typically has a nominal front curve of 8.25D. This means that an Rx requiring a 4.00D-base curve must be ground on an 8.00D-base curve lens to accommodate the wrap frame, resulting in optical aberrations such as peripheral distortion. Another problem concerns the wrap angle of the frame, which generally ranges from 12° to 23°. This angle rotates the optical axis of the lens toward the temporal area of the lens, causing power errors and unwanted prism, so wrap sun lens processing requires compensation to correct the optical problems caused by using lenses with steeper base curves and frames with high wrap angles. Based on how the frame sits on the patient’s face, the calculations will adjust the back surface of the lens to ensure that light is bent correctly to enter the eye at the correct angle. This is especially important when calculating the same prescription on a flat lens versus a curved one, as the angle where light enters the lens will be drastically different. In terms of lens availability, there’s still a need to find a lens with a sufficient front curve at a given thickness. For higher prescriptions, especially in large wrap frames, it can often be an issue where the lens blanks are not thick enough to create a lens large enough to fit. While free-form allows lenses to be decentered to help with cut-out, it’s still possible to have issues with lens blank size. This is especially obvious when the patient is in a large frame with a very narrow PD. This results in a lot of prism needed to be ground into the lens, causing surface defects of the lens.
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Free-form machinery can also have problems when trying to polish higher-curve lenses. Since free-form processing uses a soft, spongy polishing tool, it may not ideally fit well into high curves. Since the curves can be so steep, often an air pocket will form and cause problems polishing the center of the lens. This is something the lab needs to address to ensure a quality lens is produced. n
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Wrap Lenses. HIGH-BASE EDGING Another difficulty of producing wrap eyewear is the challenge to keep a steep base curve lens in a frame. Most lenses use their rim to encircle the bevel of the lens, which on a conventional edger would be cut at the wrong angle because of the grinding wheel’s bevel shape and location. However, cutting wrap lenses in-house allows for your lab to shine and your office to be known as the go-to place for edging quality. Here are some edgers to consider in the high-base wrap-edging market:
NATIONAL OPTRONICS: 7EX AND QM-X3 The 7Ex multi-cutter offers several high wrap-style blades. While it is a three-axis edger, changing the bevel angle and profile can simulate the characteristics of a four-axis edger at a substantially lower price, according to the company. The QM-X3 is also a three-axis edger but incorporates a separate cutting unit to provide a fourth axis for cutting specialty shapes. 800.866.5640
NationalOptronics.com
NOPSales@NationalOptronics.com
SANTINELLI INTERNATIONAL: LEX-1200 This edger contains a high-curve tracer and a mechanical, multi-axis stylus for a smooth and accurate trace that can match “virtually any frame curve,” according to Santinelli. The LEX-1200 also offers a tailored mini-bevel and multiple choices for high curves and asymmetrical lens bevel profiles plus a semi-step bevel for insertion of lenses into non-Rxable eyewear. 800.644.3343
Santinelli.com
Sales@Santinelli.com
ESSILOR INSTRUMENTS: MR. BLUE SUN & SPORT EDGING SYSTEM Mr. Blue Sun & Sport also enables sport wrap frame coverage for endurance and extreme sports with the partial step bevel in addition to full high curve, asymmetric bevel and step bevel. The Sun & Sport edition and its special features are available for every Mr. Blue Sun & Sport Edition edger order associated with a new or already owned Mr. Blue Tracer or Mr. Orange Tracer. 855.393.4647
EssilorInstrumentsUSA.com
Info@EssilorInstrumentsUSA.com
COBURN TECHNOLOGIES: EXXPERT HPE-8000X With 11 different lens edge finishes and step-bevel cutting, Coburn’s EXXPERT HPE-8000X edger creates edges to precisely fit into high-wrap frames, even with special shape cuttings such as ventilation holes. The HPE-8000X also features “axial roughing,” which prevents the lens from rotating on the wheel until the thickest part of the lens is removed, an adaptive swivel chuck to reduce slippage, plus six edging positions, frame shape modification and a high-performance wheel. 800.262.8761 CoburnTechnologies.com CustomerCareCenter@CoburnTechnologies.com
COSTA: CAPE
NIKE VISION: SKYLON ACE XV (WORN BY JUSTIN BIEBER)
OAKLEY: SPLIT SHOT
© 2018 JAMES DEVANEY/GETTY IMAGES
RUDY PROJECT: DEFENDER
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MAUI JIM: TUMBLELAND
TIFOSI: ALLIANT
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New.
SHAW LENSES IN TRIBRID
FRAME-BASED TECH FROM PHTL PH Technical labs (PHTL) has three new frame-based technologies—DynaFocal, DynaFit and DynaSound. DynaFocal auto-adjusting reading glasses self adjust segment heights of bifocals and progressive lenses based on head posture, viewing angle and eye convergence to the working distance. DynaFit features step-counting and activity-tracking technology, and DynaSound (which can partner with any frame company) offers technology within the temple that can integrate with Alexa, Google and Siri. 214.504.2263 Info@PHTL.com
Shaw lenses are now available in Tribrid lens material. The Shaw Lens system combines the physics of refractive optics with the physiology of the individual’s binocular vision system. It is now available in the latest high-index lens material from PPG Industries, Tribrid, which offers thinness, lightweight comfort, clarity, impact resistance and 100% UV protection. 877.796.9944 Answers@ShawLens.com
SUPER OPTICAL ADDS FLAT TOP 28 New Flat Top 28 AR and Flat Top 28 Conversion AR lenses are available from Super Optical, supplier of optical equipment, including the FastGrind “All-In-One” Lens Surfacing System. Both new lenses feature superhydrophobic anti-reflective coating, 1.56-index VisionAir thin and lightweight material, and native UV-blocking properties. The new material also adds Conversion Photochromic. Both lenses are 75mm and are available in bases of 2.00D, 4.00D, 6.00D and 8.00D. 800.543.7376 Info@SuperOptical.com
MAUI JIM OFFERS MAUIGREEN MIRRORS A new fashion lens color, a green mirror coating on a neutral gray base lens color, is available from Maui Jim. Available in Maui Jim’s Shoal #797 style, the plano lens is produced with the company’s patented PolarizedPlus2 SuperThin glass lenses. It features high-contrast anti-reflective coating and category 3 light transmission of 8% to 18%. 888.628.4546 MauiJim.com
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ADVERTORIAL
GET TO KNOW
BoB
W
hy is it we have eyeglass cases on our desk, and they do just one thing – store glasses? Can we make them more functional? That question led to the creation of BoB, a cleverly designed case for eyeglasses. BoB was engineered in England by a top design firm. It fits most eyewear while being nearly indestructible.
intriguing design was a conversation piece that quickly won the admiration of passersby. “We strive to be the main source of innovative accessories for the optical industry. After seeing BoB in action, we knew right away that our customers would be as excited to welcome BoB to their office,” stated Squicciarini. BoB is available in three popular colors and includes a compact counter display. OptiSource is the exclusive distributor of BoB in the U.S.
Sturdy yet lightweight, BoB is the ultimate multipurpose eyeglass case, capable of protecting eyeglasses while serving as a stand for smartphones or tablets and also storing “pocketshrapnel” such as wallets, keys, coins and pens. “Before bringing this innovative product to the U.S., a group of us at OptiSource got to know BoB ourselves,” said Daryl Squicciarini, president of OptiSource. “We were fascinated by the different places where BoB proved not only to be really useful but also to make a presence.” The
OPTISOURCE INTERNATIONAL | 800.678.4768 | 1-800-OptiSource.com | Info@1-800-OptiSource.com
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20 Questions
WITH
ASHLEY MILLS
Named CEO of The Vision Council in November 2016, Ashley Mills brings more than 20 years of trade association management, marketing and leadership experience. She returned to The Vision Council as VP of trade shows and meetings in January 2016. She was The Vision Council’s director of marketing and shows, 2003-2006. With Vision Expo West in Las Vegas this month, VCPN discussed the show and her vision for the organization. 1. What is the mission of The Vision Council?
As the leading trade association for eyewear and eyecare, The Vision Council champions better vision for better lives. Membership consists of companies that manufacture eyeglasses, sunglasses, contact lenses, traditional lenses, and newly, retail members that sell these products. Not only does The Vision Council aim to grow the market, but it also seeks to increase awareness of proper eye health. Vision plays a huge role in how we learn and experience the world, and it’s important that every individual’s vision is protected and enhanced. 2. With Vision Expo celebrating its 30th anniversary, what special events are in store? We
will continue our recognition of the founding exhibitors by featuring them in a dedicated social media campaign, including a giveaway through Vision Expo’s Facebook page. 3. What’s new for Vision Expo West this month? An extension of the Galleria, The
BLOCK will feature celebrity-influenced and independently designed urban eyewear. It’s a customized destination for fashion-forward retailers and highlights the launch of several new eyewear lines, including longtime personal stylist of Beyoncé, Raquel Smith’s children’s line, aptly named KidRaq. Also look for the continuing partnership with ABO & NCLE and its affiliates to bring the industry’s premier Opticianry and Contact Lens Technicians education program to Las Vegas. Through OptiCon @ Vision Expo, attendees will find the personalized program they have come to expect from the OptiCon meeting as well as expanded educational and networking opportunities. 62 | VC P N S E P T E M B E R 2 018
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4. You’ve been CEO of The Vision Council for nearly two years now. What have you accomplished and what are you pursuing? Our new
Optical Retail Division makes us more relevant to the entire business of vision care and eyewear products. The Vision Council’s Board of Directors is an incredible group of brilliant business leaders who believe in our values and are committed to guiding our strategy so we can be the champion for vision. 5. Think About Your Eyes is probably the most prominent consumer outreach program The Vision Council is involved with. Can you describe it and other initiatives The Vision Council participates in to raise awareness? Think About Your Eyes is a na-
tional advertising campaign that encourages everyone to receive a comprehensive annual eye exam. In 2017, the campaign generated 3.4 million eye exams, resulting in more than $750 million in revenue from exam fees and follow-on purchases. The Vision Council also has three consumer awareness campaigns. Our digital eye strain campaign educates consumers on the effects of digital devices on the eyes and available solutions; our UV/National Sunglasses Day campaign, which peaks annually on June 27, promotes year-round awareness of the importance of protecting eyes from the sun’s harmful UV rays; and our fashion and lifestyle campaign, Eyecessorize, sheds light on the fashion and lifestyle aspects of eyewear and sunwear. Combined, these three campaigns have reached more than 1.6 billion consumers thus far in 2018, and they continue to grow and achieve more each year.
6. Other than consumer awareness, can you describe some other effective programs? Vision
Expo, our bi-annual event held in partnership with Reed Exhibitions, is a great success. We also host our annual Executive Summit, an executive-level networking and leadership development event. This year, it is being held at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando, FL, with a theme of “Contagious Leadership – Strategies for Cultivating People While Producing Business Results,” and it will feature an impressive lineup of educational and influential speakers such as legendary football coach, player and analyst Lou Holtz. We also conduct robust industry research and relay key market data to our members through our quarterly and customized VisionWatch reports. These reports—covering everything from consumer purchasing habits, to consumer awareness of eye health, to the state of the eyewear/eyecare market—offer members a comprehensive look into the overall industry. 7. What unique benefits and challenges result from The Vision Council being comprised of many different and competing companies?
The Vision Council thrives off the unique makeup of our membership, which includes traditional lens and frame manufacturers, contact lens manufacturers and retailers of these products. Though being the voice for this varied group of organizations can be challenging, the vast nature of our membership results in our ability to touch every part of the industry. The Vision Council sees its membership’s V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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diversity as a positive challenge and an opportunity to have a widespread impact. 8. What strength does that diversity bring? We
are highly diversified. This allows us to present consumers with multiple options to correct vision problems including traditional frames and lenses, contact lenses, over-the-counter reading glasses, specialized lenses and more. 9. You had previously been with The Vision Council, left in 2006 for about 10 years, then came back. What experiences during that decade have you been able to apply to your current position? Leaving the industry gave
me the opportunity to learn how other industries and their respective associations work. What I learned about leadership, management, value proposition and relevance during that time has helped me in my current role. 10. What’s your favorite aspect of the eyecare/eyewear business? I love that our in-
dustry is made up of equal parts healthcare and fashion because it combines technical innovators, problem solvers and designers. 11. What challenges face the optical industry? Our greatest challenge is the lack of
prioritization of vision and its value on a consumer level, on a societal level and on a governmental level. Vision impacts health, education, employability, economy and lifestyle. Further, vision correction is a solvable problem, yet people are content to get by with an old prescription or struggling with their sight because they don’t know any better. Ask a child who gets glasses at age 8 who until that moment had no idea trees had individual leaves. Children understand the importance of vision correction but don’t know any better until glasses are on their face. People don’t realize everything they are missing, so the challenges are to prioritize their vision. 12. What opportunities present themselves?
The optical industry has an opportunity to capitalize on trends in consumer behavior 64 | VC P N S E P T E M B E R 2 018
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and retail without sacrificing experience, professionalism, choice or quality of care. It’s imperative that we reduce barriers for consumers to get an annual eye exam and take advantage of the vision care products that fit their individual lifestyle. Make it easy, give them choices, get them in to see a doctor immediately and empower opticians to help people find the right frames, lenses and sunwear. There is a place for all professionals and suppliers in this mix, and the opportunity rests in how we integrate new technology and modernize the transaction. 13. What changes have you observed and what has stayed the same? What has
changed in our industry over the years — for the better — is the belief that we need a unified, collective voice speaking to the value of an annual eye exam with an eye doctor. For years, many groups tried to achieve this on their own without much success. Through Think About Your Eyes, I see the most positive change, and it’s that we are all aligned with the same goal and the same message. It’s powerful and it represents impact that none of us could possibly achieve on our own. 14. What is the greatest need in the U.S. eyewear market? It’s being addressed by Think
About Your Eyes, to explain to the consumer why their vision is a gift and how to protect it. 15. Where do you see the U.S. eyewear market headed? Our data tell us there are several
positive trends, including: growth in online eyewear sales across all product categories with some of that growth coming from a combination of first-time buyers going straight to the online market and the continued evolution of brick-and-mortar retailing to brick-andclick; continued growth of managed vision care—both in terms of the number of consumers with vision insurance and growth in the usage and utilization of managed vision care benefits among U.S. consumers; and the impact of “telemedicine” on the eyewear industry and how consumers begin the journey of
addressing vision needs when they experience a vision issue. 16. What’s your take on all the mergers?
Consolidation isn’t new, but the rate at which it’s happening is accelerating. While we expect this will continue, we do see new, unique, innovative businesses and designers continuing to enter the industry. We see that diversity, innovation and choice continue to make the optical marketplace one with potential for growth. 17. What keeps you up at night? I strug-
gle with how many people take their vision for granted. I wonder how we are going to change the behavior of the population to prioritize how they see as much as how they look. I want to change that mentality and ensure that vision is a priority for all. 18. What gets you up in the morning? Coffee. 19. What activities do you enjoy outside of work? I have middle school-aged children, so I spend as much time as possible parenting them. As a family we try to be active as I wage war on digital screen time. We love to cook together and travel. I read every day, and I have an artistic side, so I’m (slowly) working on a World Art History Certificate at the Smithsonian. 20. What’s next for Ashley Mills? The Vision
Council is in an exceptional position right now. We have an industry that is strong, and a need for vision correction and care that is not yet fulfilled. For me, it’s about helping The Vision Council and the industry claim its rightful place in the paradigm of issues and importance while realizing its potential. What’s next and ongoing for me is to ensure we all reach our potential, as an industry, an organization and individuals. n V I S I O N C A R E P RO D U C T N E WS . C O M
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YOUR CAMPAIGN YOUR SUPPORT
Think About Your Eyes drove 3.4MM incremental eye exams and $752MM in incremental industry revenue in 2017. These industry leaders make the campaign a reality, and to keep it going, they need your support. Show them your appreciation, and encourage other companies you do business with to join the campaign. Think About your Eyes can get even bigger and more impactful with your help.
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