The eyes have it, or so we’re told. As baby boomers, the years may take a toll on the way our eyes look—their appearance, that is. Do you have chronic bloodshot eyes or unsightly brown or yellow flecks? A relatively new, painless I-BRITE™ eye-whitening procedure can brighten your look and your outlook. I think eye-whitening is quite remarkable.
The procedure is performed by its inventor, Brian S. Boxer Wachler, M.D., a.k.a., “Dr. Brian,” an ophthalmologist and vision correction specialist in private practice in Beverly Hills. There, he’s also director of the Boxer Wachler Vision Institute.
Seeing red?
Dr. Brian says these red eye culprits can cause temporary or permanent eye redness:
- lack of sleep
- a foreign object
- dust or dirt
- pollution
- smoking
- ill-fitting or dry contact lenses
- dry eyes, a.k.a. chronic dry eye
- sun damage
Natural remedies: Dr. Brian advises to naturally lubricate dry eyes with 1000 mg. flax oil capsules taken orally three times daily. Chronic redness may result for baby boomers from years of sun exposure without ultraviolet-protective sunglasses that filter harmful rays—also implicated in cataracts or macular degeneration.
“Get the Red Out” over-the-counter drops like Visine® may also work if used on a limited basis and if eyes are otherwise healthy. These vasoconstrictors actually “shrink” blood vessels in the white part of the eye. With overuse though, eyes may exhibit “rebound redness” when drops are stopped.
Women over 40 years old are more likely to develop chronic dry eye. Although no prescription medicine exists for cosmetic redness alone, if it’s due to dry eyes, consider Restasis® Ophthalmic Emulsion drops.
The procedure: For between approximately $3,000 to $4,000 per eye, the thin membrane holding the unsightly, unnecessary red veins or yellow or brown material is removed during a 20-minute, no-stitch, no-graft procedure. A crystal clear membrane re-grows and in two to four weeks, reveals the full whiter eye. Patients return to work and most activities immediately.
Side effects: A few darker-skinned patients with pigmented brown spots may require a “touch-up,” but not so with yellow spots. Blood vessels are generally greatly improved unless deep in the eye layer where they’re not so noticeable anyway. A temporary scratchy sensation or dryness are reported, but no infections or vision loss.
Special effects: Thirteen years in development, the procedure puts a halt to wearisome questions including, “Are you tired/smoking/taking drugs?” Chronic eye redness can spawn self-consciousness and social withdrawal. Complaining patients—formerly told their eyes were healthy but they’d have to live with redness—can go from downcast to wide-eyed.
Who says you’ll just “have to live with it”? Now you don’t.