Air Optix Colours

The NEW Alcon Air Optix colours monthly contact lenses have been launched and are available now at Mortimer Hirst.

This is the most oxygen permeable coloured contact lens available on the market. There are 9 natural looking, beautiful colours available in power ranges +6.00 to -8.00.

If you are after a subtle colour change there are 5 colour options; Pure Hazel, Green, Blue, Gray, Brown.

If you are after a vibrant colour change there are 4 colour options; Honey, Gemstone Green, Brilliant Blue, 

Sterling Gray

The colour change is achieved by 3 components;

1. The outer ring which defines and emphasises the outer edge of the iris

2. The primary colour which transforms the eye colour

3. The inner ring which brightens the eye colour and adds eye colour depth

Consistent comfort is provided throughout the whole day with Air Optix colors due to the dual action of the coloured pattern being embedded into the back surface of the contact lens and the plasma surface moisture protection technology.

To help you decide which eye colour change you are after, there is an AIR OPTIX COLORS Colour Studio available http://www.airoptix.com/colors/colors.shtml. This allows you to “virtually try on” all the different colours. Mortimer Hirst clients have found this Colour Studio very useful prior to their Air Optix Colours contact lens assessment. Please call the friendly team at Mortimer Hirst to book your Air Optix Colours contact lens assessment today.  

Maintaining Good Eye Health

Regular eye examinations are an essential part of maintaining personal health and well-being, they are not just for people experiencing difficulty with their eyesight. Prevention of eye disease is best and our Optometrists and Contact Lens Specialists can offer advice on ways to guard your eyes against the harmful effects of conditions that may run in your family history, due to your work environment or due to the environment we live in.

Sun protection is crucial for young and old as chronic UV exposure can contribute to the aging processes of the eye. UV blocking sunglasses are recommended not just in summer but all year round to protect the cells on the eye surface and within. Mortimer Hirst customizes lens tints to suit your activities or provide options in polarized lens materials that enable more comfortable viewing in high glare. They can also advise on which contact lenses are manufactured with a UV blocking capacity.

Mortimer Hirst also offers preventative lenses offering protection against harmful blue light. Emitted by the sun and also by artificial light sources such as LEDs and computers or smartphones, chronic exposure is a risk factor in retinal cell degeneration which can contribute to the development of cataracts and Age Related Macular Degeneration.

A diet rich in antioxidants has a proven protective role in maintaining healthy cells within the retina. We should aim to eat plenty of leafy greens and fresh fruit daily, a handful of nuts a week and 2-3 servings of fish a week.

During an eye examination our clinical team look inside your eye to make sure the pathway that light travels is clear of any obstructive elements and that the light detecting cells and supporting structures at the back of your eye are working optimally. According the World Health Organisation 75% of the world’s blindness is preventable. Early detection is key in guarding against more serious outcomes.

Your optometrist will be looking to detect the earliest signs of conditions such as Glaucoma and Macular Degeneration, amongst others, by using a series of diagnostic tests, examination and imaging tools. Some of these checks can pick up systemic conditions such as Diabetes, Hypertension and Hypercholesterolaemia.

New 1-Day Multifocal Contact Lenses

Mortimer Hirst is pleased to announce they are among the first practices in the world to offer the latest in technology 1-Day ACUVUE MOIST MULTIFOCAL contact lenses for presbyopia.

After age forty the human eye loses the ability to focus (accommodate) for near vision. People comment their arms are getting too short, they need to hold things further away to read and that they need more light to read especially when tired.

Traditionally people have used reading glasses, bifocal or multifocal spectacles. Various contact lenses have been prescribed to correct this malady but each has their pros and cons.

When we age we need stronger near prescriptions and at the same time our pupil size reduces. This creates problems with multifocal contact lenses.

The new 1-Day ACUVUE MOIST MULTIFOCAL have 183 unique, tailored lens designs for varying prescriptions, reading additions and optical zones to counter these changes over time.

Optometrist and Contact Lens Specialist Alan Saks was part of the initial launch in Sydney.

Mortimer Hirst are among only four practices in New Zealand to have pre-launch access to this exciting new presbyopic contact lens option.

Oliver Peoples - Introducing the Executive Series

In continuation of the Vintage Circa 1987 collection, Oliver Peoples is pleased to debut

the Executive Series. This limited edition capsule collection celebrates two iconic lens shapes from the Oliver Peoples archive and reinvents them into modern combination designs, seamlessly blending vintage with contemporary appeal.

These unique frames were designed for those culturally discerning individuals who appreciate the best and strive for perfection.  Epitomizing this description is Matteo Marzotto, business tycoon, style icon, and bon vivant.  Partnering with Man of the World, a quarterly magazine and web site chronicling the best in international style, travel, food, art, and culture, Matteo Marzotto showcases the new collection with his own personal sense of style.

The semi-rimless eyewear features a lightweight, extremely thin titanium wire with barrel and screw, rather than a standard nylor thread. The flexible and lightweight beta-titanium temples, along with the hand-inlaid plaque and bridge, are enhanced with intricate filigree detailing for the most discerning connoisseur. A thin acetate brow bar in an array of tortoise shell hues complements the titanium structure in a rich mixture of materials. The result is sophisticated, rarified eyewear crafted to perfection and immaculately hand finished with exceptional attention to detail.

The optical styles of the Executive Series are now available exclusively at Mortimer Hirst in New Zealand with Sun styles coming soon.

Mortimer Hirst Welcomes New Optometrist

Mortimer Hirst is delighted to welcome Optometrist Emilie Langley to the clinical team. Emilie has worked part time for Mortimer Hirst over the past two year and has recently joined us full time. Emilie is a Therapeutically Qualified Optometrist and works from both High Street and St Heliers practices.

Emilie completed a Bachelor of Biomedical Science majoring in Functional Human Biology, studying at the University of Otago. The neurophysiology that Emilie was exposed to during the biomedical degree along with Emilie’s passion for working with and helping people were the driving forces to further study Optometry.

Emilie then completed her second degree, Bachelor of Optometry with Honours and Ocular Therapeutics, from the Department of Optometry and Vision Science (DOVS), University of Auckland.

Emilie tailored her Optometry studies around her interest in myopia progression and Orthokeratology (OrthoK).

In 2011, Emilie was chosen to be part of the Antipodeans Abroad Healthcare Volunteer Team to Nepal. This included Rural Outreach clinics and a 6 week internship at Manipal Teaching Hospital, Optometry and Ophthalmology Department, Pokhara, Nepal.

In 2012, Emilie was awarded a summer studentship scholarship from the New Zealand Association of Optometrists (NZAO) to help further research the theory of myopia progression inhibition, which her results are contributing to a paper that is soon to be published.

In 2014, Emilie was part of a team that completed leading research on OrthoK regression, supervised by Grant Watters and Dr. Wanda Lam, which won a New Zealand College of Optometrists (NZCO) award.

Emilie is a member of the NZAO and the Cornea and Contact Lens Society (CCLS). Emilie has a particular interest in contact lens practice including Ortho-K and ocular therapeutics.

Honorary Appointment

The team at Mortimer Hirst would like to congratulate Optometrist, Contact Lens Specialist and Business Partner Grant Watters on his latest appointment “Honorary Academic in Optometry and Vision Science” at the Department of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Auckland (DOVS).

Grant has been involved with the University dating back to the mid 1980’s when Grant accepted the position of Visiting Lecturer. At this time Grant was also training and an examiner to the Optometry students. In early 2000 Grant was promoted to Visiting Senior Lecturer and in 2010 oversaw undergraduate student projects through DOVS, Clinical Research Outreach Programme for final year optometry students. Most recently Grant supervised final year projects for final year undergraduates.

Earlier this year Grant was also appointed as an “Honorary Research Fellow” in the Dept. of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, working with Associate Professor Jennifer Craig on a project to develop a novel new Manuka Honey-based eyelid cream to treat Blepharitis (inflamed eyelids).

Richard Walker & Mortimer Hirst

Mortimer Hirst is pleased to welcome Richard Walker to the team.

Richard brings a wealth of experience to Mortimer Hirst having worked in the optical industry for the past 30 years, in England and New Zealand. Richard has a background as a senior optical laboratory technician and contact lens teaching and eyewear selection.

Richard is a life time member of the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (UK) incorporated in 1629 and is a qualified optical technician (SMC).

Richard is based at the High Street practice.