Let’s Talk Cosmetometry

We are excited about this issue of Modern Optometry, with its cover focus on ocular aesthetics. Over the past decade, we have seen more and more optometrists embrace medical optometry. Often, this involves taking steps to differentiate themselves for the benefit of their patients and their practices by specializing in certain areas, such as dry eye or ocular aesthetics. To introduce this issue, I’d like to refer to an article I wrote years ago (Cosmetometry: You Already Know a Lot More Than You Think You Know) for our sister publication, Cataract & Refractive Surgery Today.

Injections, fillers, cosmetics, cosmeceuticals, products, ointments, creams, etc—there is a seemingly endless list of aesthetic products and services on the market, so much so that it’s easy to become overwhelmed by information overload. How does the optometrist interested in expanding into aesthetic services even start to understand the volume of offerings, especially if they have no personal experience with beauty products? Analysis paralysis can lead to never introducing new services, and what a shame that would be, given the tremendous opportunity available to grow one’s practice and serve patients by offering beauty and wellness products and procedures to complement an eye care practice.

After pausing to think about the aesthetics market, it’s apparent that much of the training that younger optometrists receive prepares them to extend into this area. Who better to educate patients about the skin around their eyes, their eyelids, and the ocular anatomy than eye care practitioners who have spent years studying it? No one! As our profession has been transitioning into a more medical model for the past decade, we are now looked upon as the primary providers of eye care. Thus, we can and should think about what kinds of services are appropriate for us to offer to patients so that we are delivering optimal care that reflects the breadth of our training.

This issue of Modern Optometry provides a variety of articles on the topic of aesthetics. Melanie J. Denton Dombrowski, OD, MBA, FAAO, explains how to incorporate aesthetics in a practice, and because everyone loves lash extensions and enhancements (insert sarcasm), we have an article from Jason E. Compton, OD, FAAO, and Mahnia Madan, OD, FAAO, where they take opposing viewpoints. In another piece by Selina R. McGee, OD, FAAO, she discusses the management of Demodex blepharitis in patients who wear eyelash extensions. Intense pulsed light therapy is becoming increasingly popular, and three articles in this issue talk about it: our Snapshot column by Jacob Lang, OD, FAAO, and two of our cover articles—one by Jessilin Quint, OD, MBA, MS, FAAO, and another by Rebecca Miller, OD, and Cindy Lang, OD. Of course, we have several other excellent articles on corneal health, innovative treatments, and interesting cases, so take the time to explore these pages!

Please share with us your thoughts on this issue. And, as always, if there are any particular topics you want to read more about, send them to kroman@bmctoday.com. With the school year ending and warmer weather approaching, we hope you have an awesome and relaxing summer! See you at Optometry’s Meeting!

— Walter Whitley, OD, MBA, FAAO