By nature of our training and practice patterns, most eye care practitioners focus primarily on the intricate inner workings of the eyeball itself, from the tear film to the retina. In doing so, we may often be overlooking significant and potentially rewarding treatment opportunities in the area around the eye.
As reported in this issue of MillennialEYE, aesthetics is a thriving market: An estimated 15.4 million minimally invasive cosmetic procedures were performed by US doctors in 2016 alone.1 Incorporating aesthetics services can be a means for doctors and practices to diversify and expand, address a wider range of patient needs, increase patient volume, and open new avenues for marketing, revenue, and reimbursement.
Inside The Beauty Issue, expert oculoplastic surgeons, optometrists, and ophthalmologists tackle a range of topics, including an introduction to injectables, a look at how oculoplastics best fits within an ophthalmology practice, recommendations for topical skincare, an overview of lash enhancement products, and much more.
Ocular surface disorders are often etiologically related to disorders of the eyelids, skin, and periorbita; therefore, these two burgeoning and expanding subspecialty areas are uniquely intertwined. It is in our best interest as eye care providers to pay close attention to our patients’ cosmetic and aesthetic behaviors, as they may have an adverse impact on ocular surface health and comfort. Certainly no one of millennial age remembers Billy Crystal’s SNL catchphrase, “It’s better to look good than to feel good,” but, as progressive “millennial-minded” eye doctors, we should strive to achieve both for our patients, and this issue of ME shows us how.
1. American Society of Plastic Surgeons, 2016 Plastic Surgeons Statistics Report. www.plasticsurgery.org/news/plastic-surgery-statistics. Accessed August 12, 2017.
