Eye Pro, Inc.

Eye Pro, Inc.
Delivering a Short, but Poignant Message

by Hollie Costello

When something is thrown at you unexpectedly, what's the first thing you do? Shield your eyes. When you come out of a dark theater into the sunlight, what's the first thing you do? Shield your eyes. When you step into an indoor tanning room and turn on the equipment, what's the first thing you do? Shield your eyes! Or you should, according to Eye Pro, Inc.

The Fort Wayne, Ind.-based eye-shield manufacturer is working, through education, information and innovation, to make sure the indoor tanning industry is well aware of the importance of eye protection.

Into the Light

Eye protection is not a matter of choice when it comes to indoor tanning--it's a matter of good sense. As one of the most sensitive areas on the body, your eyes are more susceptible to disease, injury and long-term damage than any other organ, and should be treated properly. In the early days of the indoor tanning industry, many people believed that a towel or a T-shirt would be enough protection against the light; however, many studies later, the industry now recognizes the truth.

"In the beginning, we believed that creating the perfect eyewear would make people more apt to use eye protection while tanning," says Brenda Fishbaugh, president and co-owner of Eye Pro. "That is why we invented Wink-Ease®."

What makes Wink-Ease different from the typical eye shields is the cone shape and the fact that they are disposable. Siting sanitation and fit as the main basis of design, Wink-Ease eye shields fit over the socket to create a pocket of eye protection. While Wink-Ease have been available to the indoor tanning industry since 1985, the product itself has changed very little in those 15 years.

"The product basically is the same as it was when it was first introduced on the market," Fishbaugh says. "We have received such great response from tanners we felt there was no reason to change."

However, after years of positive customer feedback, questions and concerns, Eye Pro did decide to expand its line--especially because customers with longer eyelashes and larger eyes were starting to question what type of fit was needed for maximum protection. Because Eye Pro wanted everyone to have the perfect fit, the company introduced VIEWkeepers!®--disposable eye protection for people with larger eyes or longer eyelashes. The VIEWkeepers! are made to be used in the same fashion as the Wink-Ease, with a larger surface and higher cone for a more perfect fit. They also have "cute" animal designs--frogs and dragonflies--that attract attention and make them easier to assemble by fitting the artwork together.

"Some people still are wearing the products flat-- which decreases the effectiveness of the shape," Fishbaugh says. "Wink-Ease and VIEWkeepers need to be in the cone shape to be most effective."

With the success of VIEWkeepers, Fishbaugh knew Eye Pro was on the right course. The company then decided it would stick with what it knew best, instead of attempting to manufacture plastic or non-disposable eye shields.

"We decided long ago that there were many people making non- disposable eyewear--and making it well--so why try to compete," she says. "This is just a more sanitary option for those salons that give away eyewear or make customers buy protection when they don't bring their own."

See the Light

In addition to the products Eye Pro manufacturers, the company is a big believer in the importance of education. Recognizing that salon owners cannot accompany their clientele into the tanning room and therefore have no real control over the use of eyewear, Eye Pro has decided to show people what can happen when they decide NOT to wear eyewear, as well as expounding on the benefits of wearing protection.

Putting its money where its mouth is, the company unveiled a new look to the standard "Eye Protection Mandatory" sign in 1999, at the 10th Annual LOOKING FIT International Tanning Trade Expo in Chicago. The signs, featuring exotic animals with short but poignant messages, are available free to salon owners and come in packs of four so salons can place them within the rooms.

"We were hearing again and again that salon owners could not get the message across to their clientele on how important eyewear is in an indoor tanning bed or booth," says Fishbaugh. "The signs are a perfect way to get the point across--the animals catch your attention and the message is short but effective."

The signs--about the size of a regular sheet of paper, feature an animal or beach scene with small messages on the types of degeneration UV light will have on sensitive eye functions. Lampooning everything from blurry vision to color blindness to cataracts, the signs attract attention and deliver a message without all the government wording and catch-22s.

"We have received such a great response to the signs," she says. "The fact that they are free to any salon just increases the demand."

In addition to education at the client level, Eye Pro continues to do regular presentations at trade shows and distributor conferences and has updated its Microsoft PowerPoint presentation to include the latest in UV light studies regarding eye disease and afflictions. The company also has hired an ophthalmologist to review and update the latest research on UV light and the eyes to better bring the information to the salon owners in a message they can understand and pass on.

Eye Pro currently is working on a handout for salon owners and employees on the latest in eye care information. The company hopes salons will make copies to keep behind the counter for new tanners--or tanners who do not believe in the importance of protecting your eyes while they tan. Full of facts, figures and visuals, the one-page reminder is something salon owners can give clients to keep and read--something that doesn't look too medical and yet still provides the information they need to act responsibly and use eye shields.

"The most important thing is to get the message to the end user--salon clientele," Fishbaugh says. "They are the people who have to be responsible for their eyes--and in the long run--for their sight."

Light the Way

Fishbaugh realizes, of course, that there always will be those who think their eyelids, or their towel, provide enough protection in a tanning unit--just as they assume it does in the regular sun. However, she says, it is the salon owner and employees' responsibility to remind clients that UV protection is important--indoors and outdoors. In other words, clients can't close their eyes to the truth.

"We have found so much information on the Internet regarding eye studies, eye diseases and eye degeneration because of the effects of UV light--and it includes warnings about sunglasses and outdoor light as well," she says. "In fact, much of the information says sunglass manufacturers are not uniform in their labels to the point where some were untrue and misleading."

The indoor tanning industry's eye protection manufacturing is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. One product from each batch is sent to the government for testing through a spectrometer and each product has trace numbers in case a recall is needed.

While Eye Pro is based in Fort Wayne, Ind., the eye shields are manufactured in Michigan, in a large facility that has a FDA supervisor checking every production cycle. However, with the success of VIEWkeepers!, the notoriety of Wink-Ease and the popularity of the salon signs, Eye Pro has little to worry about.

"We have designed new Single-Roll display boxes to help our customers catch the attention of their customers and have created Starter Paks for those salons--and clients--that never have used the Eye Pro products before," Fishbaugh says. "We have grown worldwide, as well as in the United States, and with our new Web site, www.eyepro.net, we are spreading the word about the importance of eyewear. This company is about getting the word out on the importance of eye protection and making sure everyone is protecting their eyes properly. That is something that will never stop."