May 4, 2009— EYE PRO, Inc. — makers of WINK-EASE and VIEWkeepers and world leader in disposable eyewear, recently moved to a new sales office location in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and have a new manufacturing facility in Michigan.

“We are all very excited about the new location,” said EYE PRO President Brenda Fishbaugh.  “It offers better amenities for our office needs.  Plus, we’ve expanded our warehouse in Fort Wayne to store and more easily ship promotional materials for our US and international markets.” She concluded, “The office is located on New Vision Drive; sounds like a perfect fit for Eye Pro!”

EYE PRO also built a larger manufacturing facility in Michigan.  “We had simply outgrown our former manufacturing plant.” said Fishbaugh. “Our sister company, Labeltape, who manufactures and ships Wink-Ease disposable eye protection, is now in a custom-made facility, allowing us to meet our worldwide expansion plans. We are very proud that all of our products are made in the United States, when so many other companies are now manufacturing overseas.”

EYE PRO’S new address is 3930 New Vision Drive, Fort Wayne, Indiana 46845.  Our phone numbers will be changed to 260.483.7620 and our fax number is 260.484.0360.  Our toll free number 800.726.8322 and website www.eyepro.net will remain the same.

For information on EYE PRO’s WINK-EASE and VIEWkeepers disposable eyewear and Fresh-Ease Refreshing Body Cloths for after tanning, visit EyePro.net or call EYE PRO at 800.726.8322.

May 2009

Did you know that the earth’s ozone layer is what keeps us from burning up? There’s a hole in the ozone layer, and if it continues to grow, the sun’s ultraviolet radiation (UVR) that reaches Earth will become less and less filtered. If that happens, it will change the way plants function and reproduce. Plant-eating animals will run out of things to eat. And if plant-eating animals can’t find food, they’ll die – leaving us with less and less to eat.

At the same time that our food sources begin to die off, the number of cases of cataracts that lead to blindness will increase dramatically. Without the ozone layer, our living planet will eventually die – we simply can’t live without its protection from the sun’s powerful UV rays.

The point here isn’t to preach about how terrible it is that the ozone layer is being destroyed; what we want you to know about are the many ways you can be overexposed to UVR, the risks to your eyesight associated with UVR, and how best to protect your eyes.

When your eyes are sunburned, it’s called photokeratitis. (Yes, you can actually sunburn your eyeballs!) Photokeratitis is a big word that means you’ve burned the cornea, or the outermost layer of your eyeball. Though the pain associated with a corneal burn is thought by some to feel like sand or dirt in the eye, it’s actually the cornea peeling! Other symptoms include: watery eyes ,inflammation of the eyeball’s surface, moderate to severe pain, blurred or cloudy vision, light sensitivity, reddening of the eye, twitching around the eye, and reduced pupil size.

Although there isn’t much you alone can do to protect the ozone layer, there’s plenty you can do to protect your eyes from corneal burns. Because corneal burns are the No. 1 reason indoor tanners visit emergency rooms after tanning, it makes good sense to wear eye protection every time you tan. Do you know that each year 12,000 people are sent to the emergency room with eye burns from unprotected tanning sessions? The FDA tracks this and it’s a sad number, as people come to salons to feel and look better. Instead, they wind up needing medical attention!

Make it a habit to protect your eyes indoors, educate your tanners, and take the same philosophy outdoors. A corneal burn happens in a single tanning session, with your eyes closed! Make sure you always wear FDA compliant eye protection!

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EYE PRO, Inc. — makers of WINK-EASE and VIEWkeepers and world leader in disposable eyewear — were pleased to help Captain Video & Tanning with their annual SPRING FLING fund raiser for the local Humane Society of North Wilkesboro, NC.

“We offered $1.00 tans ALL DAY on March 21st, cooked a pig Hawaiian-style, and listened to Jimmy Buffet while drinking margaritas in the parking lot,”  said Captain Video & Tanning owner, Tim Bennett. “We provided the Humane Society with a tent to show animals that needed a good home all day, with all proceeds donated to the local humane society.”

“EYE PRO was thrilled to support a salon that planned out such an extravagant event — all in the name of helping animals,”  said Director of Customer Support & Education, Renee Lofland.   “EYE PRO sent 200 zippies pouches loaded with free samples of WINK-EASE and VIEWkeepers disposable eyewear, as well as FRESH EASE Refreshing Body Cloths for after tanning for Captain Video & Tanning to hand out to every tanner attending the event.”

Said Bennett, “The day was a huge hit!  Most importantly, we raised $800 and the Shelter was able to find nine animals a home — we set a record!”

EYE PRO, Inc. is a long time animal advocate, supporting five animal rescue organizations world wide. For information on EYE PRO’S endangered animal rescues or WINK-EASE and VIEWkeepers disposable eyewear and Fresh-Ease Refreshing Body Cloths for after tanning, visit www.eyepro.net or call EYE PRO at 1-800-726-8322.

April 2009

I was standing in the lobby of a tanning salon recently, when the salon professional asked to see a tanner’s eyewear. The tanner said she didn’t wear goggles. The salon pro replied, “You can get cataracts from tanning without eye protection.” The tanner kind of shrugged and headed back to her tanning room – with no eyewear – clearly believing that cataracts are what happen to her grandma, not to her.

Over 16 million people are blind because of cataracts. Tens of thousands will lose their sight and millions more will have poor vision because of cataracts, reports the University of Maryland Medical Center.

“Ultraviolet light can accelerate the aging process, and we see cataracts in much younger people,” says Dr. Mark Kimpel, an ophthalmologist with Indiana University Medical Center. “I constantly tell young people that they might not see the damage now, but it’s like sunburn; the damage is accumulating for later.” Dr. Kimpel, an indoor tanner, strongly recommends wearing eye protection when tanning indoors and UV-block sunglasses outdoors.

The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that the ultraviolet (UV) light from sunlight or tanning lamps penetrates the thin skin of the eyelid. Unprotected UV exposure causes cataracts by creating changes in the lens and is also responsible for macular degeneration, which causes blindness. Ultraviolet over-exposure is responsible for creating oxygen-free radicals, called oxidants, which are unstable molecules that can cause cataracts. If you’re a smoker, heavy drinker or take certain drugs, you have an even higher chance of developing cataracts, as you’ll have more oxidants running around in your body.

So you tan without eyewear? Never fear! Cataract surgery is here! Cataract surgery is a relatively easy procedure; your surgeon makes an incision in your eye and uses ultrasound to break up your clouded lens into small fragments, then uses a small vacuum to suck out the tiny pieces. A replacement lens is then placed on your eye and the incision sutured shut. A few minor details: you may need to wear big, heavy wrap-around sunglasses in bright light situations for several months, since your eyes may be very light sensitive. There can also be complications with cataract surgery, including permanent vision loss. It’s important to note that 30 percent of cataract surgery patients need another procedure in one to fi ve years. Make sure you have good health insurance and loads of free time for recovery!

People who work outdoors (such as lifeguards, construction workers, landscapers) or live closer to the equator (Florida and Texas) have a much higher risk for developing cataracts. Make sure you are wearing UV-Block sunglasses outdoors – just wearing dark lenses that are not UV-Block certified or labeled “UV 400” is actually more dangerous than squinting in the sunlight!

Though you may be able to regain your vision with surgeries, cataracts can never be cured. Stop squinting and put on your FDA compliant eye protection!

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EYE PRO, Inc. — makers of WINK-EASE and VIEWkeepers and world leader in disposable eyewear — were pleased to help raise awareness of the second World Glaucoma Day, a joint worldwide initiative held on March 12, 2009 (www.wgday.net).

“World Glaucoma Day started in the United Kingdom as a way to raise awareness of a disease that destroys vision,” says EYE PRO president, Brenda Fishbaugh.

EYE PRO notified their “V-EYE-P” salon members by email.  Any salon member that responded received free samples of WINK-EASE and VIEWkeepers disposable eyewear, as well as EYE PRO’s counter mat to help educate tanners about the importance of wearing eye protection when tanning.

“Our version of World Glaucoma Day was so successful, we would like to extend our offer to non-members.  If a salon emails us at Jackie@eyepro.net, they will receive free samples and free educational materials.”

For information on WINK-EASE and VIEWkeepers disposable eyewear and Fresh-Ease Refreshing Body Cloths for after tanning, visit www.eyepro.net or call EYE PRO at 1-800-726-8322.