In EB’s new Eye for Beauty column, Sheena Taff highlights how to successfully implement aesthetics into your eyecare practice.
There are now a plethora of beauty products and treatments specifically designed to focus on ocular health, each of them offering a crossover into medical aesthetics. These procedures utilize equipment already being used for dry eye treatments and offer optometrists the opportunity to position their practice to expand into a realm of services and revenue that is untapped in the eyecare environment.
I was first introduced to the concept of beauty in the optometric office by Mahnia Madan, O.D., FAAO, president of BC Doctors of Optometry. Here, we check in with Dr. Madan on the specific service-based treatments that bring together ocular health and beauty.
Internal + External
As an optometrist who has more than 15 years of experience managing complex dry eye patients, Dr. Madan is uniquely positioned to offer expertise on treatments that benefit the internal health of the eyes and the physical appearance of the skin surrounding them.
“As an eye doctor, I can help guide patients toward enhancement products or procedures that protect and support eye health function,” underscores Dr. Madan. “There is a lot of misinformation that certain products and procedures can be harmful to the ocular function.”
Noninvasive, Now
“In the past, aesthetic enhancements were usually surgical procedures such as blepharoplasty (eyelid lift) or face-lifts,” says Dr. Madan. “Surgical procedures can be invasive and require more downtime.”
In the last decade, noninvasive cosmetic procedures have become a favored method to slow the aging process. Botox has origins in ophthalmology dating back to 1989 when it was used as a treatment for blepharospasm and strabismus. Now, Botox is part of a regular beauty regimen for millions globally.
Treatment Talk
Intense pulsed light and radio frequency treatments are being increasingly adopted in the optometry industry for dry eye.
“The interplay between rosacea, ocular manifestations, and dry eye disease is an example where treatment for the skin condition is beneficial for or reducing the impact of the ocular consequences,” says Dr. Madan.
These procedures can be segued to beauty treatments that are noninvasive, with little to no recovery time, and offer patients the opportunity to walk out of the exam room looking and feeling more radiant.
Intense Pulsed Light (IPL)
Eyecare use: IPL can stimulate the meibomian glands in the eyelids, improving the quality of the oil layer in tears and alleviating evaporative dry eye symptoms. Treatments can help improve meibomian gland secretions for the eyelids and reduce the load of demodex mites on the eyelids and redness/irritation.
Beauty use: IPL treatments can stimulate collagen production in the skin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and resulting in smoother, tighter skin. IPL can effectively target and treat various forms of hyperpigmentation, including age spots, sunspots, freckles, and melasma, creating an even skin tone. IPL has shown positive results in the treatment of acne by targeting the bacteria that cause breakouts and aiding in the healing of acne scars. IPL can also treat certain vascular lesions and skin conditions such as spider veins, broken capillaries, and rosacea.
Treatment schedule: Four treatments spaced two to four weeks apart for dry eye.
Four to six treatments every four weeks for facial treatments.*
*Frequency/number of treatments is determined by the optometrist or clinical practitioner and the desired results.
Approximate cost: $400 to $500 per treatment
Radio Frequency (RF)
Eyecare use: RF treatments are used as a form of dry eye therapy for specifically addressing meibomian gland dysfunction. RF effectively dissolves congested oils within the meibomian glands, transforming oils from solid to liquid state. This prompts a restoration in the proper fluid composition of tears. It reduces or removes blockages in the meibomian glands, facilitating the unobstructed flow of tears.
Beauty use: RF treatments can reduce wrinkles and fine lines by promoting collagen production. RF can improve the texture and appearance of scars and minimize pore size. Treatments can reduce cellulite by targeting connective tissue and can help to contour and shape certain areas by tightening/toning skin.
Treatment schedule: Three or four treatments spaced two to four weeks apart for dry eye. Three to five treatments for face and body, spaced four to six weeks apart.*
*Frequency/number of treatments is determined by the optometrist or clinical practitioner and the desired results.
Approximate cost: $400 to $500 per treatment session 
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