Photo created by Ned Matura Children’s eyewear photo depicts Jackson Rogers in the Jackson Rogers Still Collection from Todd Rogers as photographed by Emily O’Brien.
It’s that time of year when children are heading back to school whether it’s in person or via distance learning. While it’s a good reminder to get their eyes checked and fit for new frames, children’s eyewear should be a year-round priority for both parents and eyecare professionals. To provide a comprehensive look at the children’s eyewear market from the perspective of independent ECPs, 20/20 presents our annual Children’s Eyewear MarketPulse Survey conducted by Jobson Optical Research. Take a look at the following data to gain a better understanding of the trends and challenges in dispensing eyewear to the under 18 age group.
20/20’s Children’s Eyewear MarketPulse Survey 2020 was conducted online in April 2020 by Jobson Optical Research’s in-house staff. The 2020 sample of 350 qualified independent optical retailers who sell to children as well as other age groups was derived from the proprietary Jobson Optical Research database. Only the responses of dispensers who sell eyewear to children were included in the report. Respondents were offered the chance to enter a drawing to win a $200 amazon.com gift card as an incentive. To purchase the full report, visit jobsonresearch.com.
We know that contact lenses can deliver drugs directly to the eye surface, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Acuvue Theravision with Ketotifen. And we know that Sensimed’s Triggerfish contact lens monitors changes in intraocular pressure (IOP) for glaucoma. Now researchers have developed a contact lens that does both. The wireless theranostic contact lens (WTCL) not only tracks IOP, but delivers anti-glaucoma drugs on demand, as reported in Nature Communications. (Toshniwal Paharia, Pooja Toshniwal Paharia. "Glaucoma treatment using smart contact lenses that release drugs". News-Medical. 20 June 2022. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20220519/Glaucoma-treatment-using-smart-contact-lenses-that-release-drugs.aspx.) Note: Theranostics is a combination of the terms therapeutics and diagnostics.
Summer is the best time to be outdoors and soak up the glorious sunshine and warmth in the air! I’m eager to listen to the hobbies and activities everyone has planned this summer so I can encourage proper eyewear routines. Life seems to be getting back to somewhat normal since the Covid-19 outbreak, but even though the world slowed down for a bit, the sun never did. Here are some of the basics for sun protection and how conversation is effective for selling sunglasses to promote self-care. I’ll touch on skincare habits for comparison to increase awareness about the need for sun protection.