Morris Eye Group excitedly continues the promotion of our newest prescription medication, LATISSE™.  The latest and greatest in eyelash enhancement medication has made its way into San Diego’s North County. Both of our offices in Encinitas and Oceanside proudly carry LATISSE™ solution.  Following, are some commonly asked questions regarding LATISSE™.

1.       QUESTION: What is LATISSE™?

ANSWER:  LATISSE™ solution contains the active ingredient, (bimatoprost ophthalmic solution) 0.03%. It is indicated to treat hypotrichosis (no hair growth) of the eyelashes by increasing their growth, including darkness, length, and thickness.

2.       QUESTION: How is LATISSE™ different from other eyelash enhancement products?

ANSWER: Only LATISSE™ has been approved by the FDA as a prescription treatment for hypotrichoses used to grow eyelashes. It has also been studied in a clinical trial to demonstrate its safety and efficacy.

3.       QUESTION: How does LATISSE™ work?

ANSWER: LATISSE™ is believed to affect the growth (anagen) phase of the eyelash hair cycle in 2 ways: first, it increases the length of this phase; and second, it increases the number of hairs in this growth phase. Every night you apply a small amount of the prescription onto an FDA approved applicator and apply that to the base of the upper eyelid. Morris Eye Group will go over how to use Latisse with you when you come into our San Diego office to purchase the product.

4.       QUESTION: What happens when I stop using LATISSE™?

ANSWER: Patients’ eyelashes are expected to return to their previous appearance over several weeks to months. Some patients may feel like they “lost” eyelashes because they are used to the effects of using LATISSE™. This is not the case.  The new, longer, thicker, and darker eyelashes are so beautiful and luscious, that when the original state of eyelashes takes over, it appears that they may have “lost” eyelashes.

5.       QUESTION: Who can prescribe LATISSE™?

ANSWER: Any physician can prescribe LATISSE™ solution. HOWEVER, at Morris Eye Group, we pride ourselves on taking extra precautions when prescribing this medication.  To purchase LATISSE™ from Morris Eye Group, our patients need to have an annual eye exam at our office within the last 12 months and have their doctor look over their chart in order to approve the patient to use LATISSE™.  In some cases, a patient may be asked to come in and see the doctor once more before being prescribed LATISSE™ solution. All 5 of our physicians at Morris Eye Group take these precautions to rule out certain eye diseases and/or abnormalities of the eye before a patient starts LATISSE™.  Luckily, if you decide to purchase LATISSE™ from Morris Eye Group, you can feel comfortable knowing your eyes are being cared for in all aspects. We carry LATISSE™ at each of our locations in North County San Diego. We have locations in Encinitas, as well as Oceanside.

6.       QUESTION: Can I still wear make-up when using LATISSE™?

ANSWER: During the day time, it is perfectly ok to wear mascara, eye shadow, and eyeliner while using LATISSE™ solution. However, when you apply the medication at night, you must make sure to wash all of your make up off before applying LATISSE™.

7.       QUESTION: How long will it take to see results?

ANSWER: The onset of effect with LATISSE™ solution is gradual. You may notice some visual signs of lengthening, thickening, and/or darkening within the first few weeks. But, the majority of patients see significant improvement by 2 months. The optimal results can take up to 4 months.

8.       QUESTION: After I get to my “optimal” growth, what is the maintenance I have to do?

ANSWER: There are no studies thus far with regards to the maintenance stage. Morris Eye Group cannot comment on how patients’ eyelashes carry out when LATISSE™ solution is used less than the FDA approved directions. 

If you have any other questions or concerns, or would like to set up an annual eye exam, please feel free to call Morris Eye Group at 760.631.3500. Again, we have 2 locations in San Diego: Encinitas and Oceanside. Call today, and ask about our Summer Promotion Specials for LATISSE™, Botox® Cosmetic, LASIK, and more!

If you are looking for an ophthalmologist in the San Diego, Oceanside, Encinitas, Carlsbad or Vista area, Morris Eye Group can provide you with the services and professionals you need. An ophthalmologist is an eye care professional that diagnoses and treats people with eye diseases and sight problems requiring specialized treatment. It is extremely frightening to have unhealthy eyes and concern about the ability to see, and an ophthalmologist is the professional to talk with as they specialize in prevention and surgical treatment of eye diseases. Often referred to as eye surgeons, their specialized training allows them able to diagnose and provide total eye care such as eye examinations, surgical and medical eye care, diagnosing eye diseases and prevention. They often perform surgery to prevent or improve vision related conditions.

The difference between an ophthalmologist, an optometrist and optician is that ophthalmologists are surgical doctors who operate on patients eyes, while the other two do not. At Morris Eye Group we offer all three professionals, ophthalmology, optometry and opticians to help with your vision and eye needs. Some of the services the ophthalmologists at Morris Eye Group  perform are routine eye exams, eyeglass prescriptions, diagnosis eye diseases and eye disorders, provide the necessary treatment, surgery, and supply preventative medical information.

If an ophthalmologist decides to practice in a subspecialty area such as glaucoma, external and cornea disease, or ophthalmic plastic surgery, they may require additional education and training. At Morris Eye Group, Dr. Spellman is an ophthalmologist with a subspecialty in glaucoma. They treat some eye diseases, such as the early stages of glaucoma with eye drops, medication or pills. If the patient has cataracts, they often require laser surgery, which is a very safe, effective, common surgical procedure to remove the cataracts. Although there is no cure for some eye conditions, ophthalmologists offer support, advice and the necessary counseling while supervising their patient’s condition. Their main goals are preventing eye conditions through early diagnostic procedures and treating eye disease. Morris Eye Group’s ophthalmologists are fully trained, board certified physicians that specialize in eye care, disease prevention, cataract surgery, LASIK and other procedures related to improving vision and the healthy of the eye. Morris Eye Group can take care of your vision needs if you are located in San Diego or the North County area.

About the Eye

Some people liken the eye to a camera. As light passes through the lens, it is bent and transposed onto the eye’s film: the retina. The film is then ‘developed’ by the brain, becoming the image that we see. In order for an individual to have perfect vision, all components of the eye must be functioning properly. Otherwise, eye diseases and refractive errors can lead to impaired vision. Read the sections below to learn more about how the eye functions, its structures, and the eye diseases and refractive errors that result in imperfect vision.

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How the Eye Functions

As light enters the eye, it first passes through the cornea, the clear outer portion of the eye. Because the cornea is curved, the light rays bend, allowing light to pass through the pupil to the lens. The iris, or colored part of the eye, regulates the amount of light that enters the eye with the ciliary muscles. These muscles cause the pupil to contract when exposed to excess light or to dilate when there is too little light.

When light hits the curved surface of the lens, it is refracted and brought into focus on the retina. The retina then turns the light into electrical energy. This energy passes through the optic nerve to the brain stem and finally into the occipital lobe, where it is converted into an image.

The Eye’s Structures

• Cornea - The clear surface of the eye where light rays refract as they pass through to the pupil.
• Iris - The colored part of the eye that controls the amount of light that passes through the pupil.
• Pupil - An open space in the center of the iris where light passes through to the lens.
• Lens - The part of the eye that refracts light to focus it properly on the retina.
• Retina - The structure at the back of the eye that converts light rays into electrical energy that is transferred to the optic nerve.
• Optic Nerve - The biological pathway to the brain stem, which forwards electrical energy to the occipital lobe.
• Occipital Lobe - The part of the brain that converts electrical energy into an image.

Eye Diseases and Refractive Errors

The process described above occurs flawlessly in people with 20/20 vision. However, vision can be impaired when the shape of the eye is irregular or when the light rays do not focus properly on the retina. These flaws are known as refractive errors. Imperfect vision can also occur as a result of various eye diseases. Learn more about the refractive errors and eye diseases that cause vision problems.

Refractive Errors

Refractive errors can be treated with LASIK surgery, custom LASIK, or other laser vision correction procedures, including PRK and LASEK. The following refractive errors can impair vision:

• Nearsightedness (myopia) - Nearsighted vision is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea that results in light focusing in front of the retina, rather than directly on the retina. People who are nearsighted have difficulty seeing objects at a distance.
• Farsightedness (hyperopia) - Farsighted vision is caused by an irregularly shaped cornea that results in light focusing behind the retina instead of directly on the retina. People who are farsighted have difficulty seeing nearby objects.
• Astigmatism - The most common of all eye disorders, astigmatism is a condition in which the eyeball is shaped more like a football than its naturally spherical shape. This odd shape causes light to focus on two points of the retina, rather than one.
• Presbyopia - Presbyopia occurs when the lens of the eye becomes less flexible, necessitating the use of reading glasses for near vision. Specifically, the lens becomes stiffer, and the muscles that control the lens become weaker, hindering its ability to bend and flatten in order to focus light on the retina.

Eye Diseases

• Cataracts - A cataract is a condition characterized by a clouding of the eye’s natural lens. This clouding occurs when protein begins to clump together in the lens.
• Glaucoma - Glaucoma is an eye disease that occurs when elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) causes damage to the optic nerve.
• Macular degeneration - Macular degeneration is a degenerative eye disease that is characterized by a loss of central vision. It occurs when the macula (a tiny area on the retina) becomes damaged.
• Diabetic retinopathy - Diabetic retinopathy is a degenerative eye disease that occurs in patients with diabetes and is characterized by abnormal blood vessel growth. This can eventually lead to a detached retina and blindness.