Where Advanced Technology
Meets Compassionate Care
Specializing in Specialty Contact Lenses and Myopia Management
- We utilize the most advanced and specialized technology that is available worldwide.
- New patient exams involve 1.5 to 2 hours with the doctor.
- Our doctors have extensive training and experience with keratoconus, scleral lenses, and myopia management.
Where Advanced Technology
Meets Compassionate Care
Specializing in Specialty Contact Lenses and Myopia Management
- We utilize the most advanced and specialized technology that is available worldwide.
- New patient exams involve 1.5 to 2 hours with the doctor.
- Our doctors have extensive training and experience with keratoconus, scleral lenses, and myopia management.
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Welcome to the
Charlotte Contact Lens Institute
The Charlotte Contact Lens Institute’s sole focus is on providing patients with the latest technology in specialty contact lenses and myopia management.
Our doctors are not only nationwide experts in the field of specialty contact lenses, but importantly, they are also skilled at showing compassion and in asking the right questions to determine the best possible treatment option. Our office was established in order to provide the best possible specialty lens care, and we have some of the most advanced technology available nationwide. Not only that, but our average initial exam is 1.5-2 hours of one-on-one time with the doctor. Even if you have tried scleral contact lenses, or other specialty contact lenses before without success, chances are we CAN help!
Here, you’re not just another patient; you’re an individual with specific needs, concerns, and aspirations. We specialize in crafting custom contact lens solutions, utilizing the latest technology such as the Pentacam AXL Wave and EyePrintPRO in order to ensure optimal vision and comfort. Our approach is simple yet profound – listen, understand, and tailor a solution that transforms how you see the world.
Welcome to a place where your vision challenges meet compassionate, innovative solutions. Our doctors understand the challenges of being a ‘difficult to fit’ patient and the good news is there are solutions available to help!!
Click here to see what our patients have to say about us.
Dr. Daniel Helin
After graduating from The Ohio State University with his undergraduate degree, Dr. Helin stayed at Ohio State to attend the Ohio State College of Optometry.
During his professional career Dr. Helin has focused on specialty contact lenses and “hard to fit” corneal cases. He specializes in fitting contact lenses for keratoconus, post RK and corneal transplants, along with other corneal irregularities and corneal scarring. Daniel is also experienced in myopia management, including both ortho-k and MiSight.
Dr. Helin is a member of the American Optometric Association and the North Carolina Optometric Society and is a future candidate for the Fellowship of the Scleral Lens Education Society.
After graduating from The Ohio State University with his undergraduate degree, Dr. Helin stayed at Ohio State to attend the Ohio State College of Optometry.
During his professional career Dr. Helin has focused on specialty contact lenses and “hard to fit” corneal cases. He specializes in fitting contact lenses for keratoconus, post RK and corneal transplants, along with other corneal irregularities and corneal scarring. Daniel is also experienced in myopia management, including both ortho-k and MiSight.
Dr. Helin is a member of the American Optometric Association and the North Carolina Optometric Society and is a future candidate for the Fellowship of the Scleral Lens Education Society.
Daniel completed his undergraduate studies at The Ohio State University, graduating with honors. He then continued the Buckeye tradition at Ohio State College of Optometry where he was President of the Contact Lens Advancement Society.
Dr. Helin is a member of the American Optometric Association and the North Carolina Optometric Society. Daniel is a future candidate for the Fellowship of the Scleral Lens Society and is also experienced in myopia management, including both ortho-k and MiSight.
During his professional career Dr. Helin has focused on specialty contact lenses and “hard to fit” corneal cases. He specializes in fitting contact lenses for keratoconus, post RK and corneal transplants, along with other corneal irregularities and corneal scarring.
Daniel is also experienced in myopia management, including both ortho-k and MiSight. Dr. Helin views the cornea as the gateway to optimizing vision and he enjoys focusing on patient education and thoroughly answering patient questions.
Dr. Helin completed his undergraduate studies at The Ohio State University, graduating with honors. He then continued the Buckeye tradition at Ohio State College of Optometry where he was President of the Contact Lens Advancement Society.
Daniel lives with his fiance Claire in Concord, but plans to make a move to Matthews in the future. He is an avid golfer and ice hockey player and loves to try all the great restaurants that Charlotte has to offer.
Click here for Dr. Helin’s full bio.
Dr. Ariel Cerenzie,
FAAO, FSLS
Dr. Cerenzie graduated from University of Houston College of Optometry and since that time her professional career has been dedicated to specializing in specialty contact lenses and myopia management. Dr. Cerenzie speaks nationally on these topics and has many industry certifications and awards, such as being named as one of the top 200 Optometrists in North America. Dr. Cerenzie lives in Fort Mill, SC, and is married with two young girls.
Dr. Cerenzie graduated from University of Houston College of Optometry and since that time her professional career has been dedicated to specializing in specialty contact lenses and myopia management. Dr. Cerenzie speaks nationally on these topics and has many industry certifications and awards, such as being named as one of the top 200 Optometrists in North America. Dr. Cerenzie lives in Fort Mill, SC, and is married with two young girls.
Dr. Cerenzie received her Bachelor of Science at Texas A&M University where she graduated magna cum laude. She completed her Doctor of Optometry degree at the University of Houston College of Optometry where she again graduated with magna cum laude honors.
After graduation Dr. Cerenzie completed a specialized cornea and contact lens residency at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. Additionally, Dr. Cerenzie has furthered her training by achieving fellowships in the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) and the Scleral Lens Education Society (FSLS).
Dr. Cerenzie speaks nationwide on Myopia Management and Specialty Contact Lens related topics, and this further requires her to stay on the forefront of new technology, research, and best practices.
Many of Dr. Cerenzie’s patients are told that they are ‘difficult to fit’. They feel isolated and anxious about their vision, feeling that no one understands what they are going through. As someone who personally lives with keratoconus, Dr. Cerenzie relates to these challenges.
The entire focus of Charlotte Contact Lens Institute is optimizing vision and comfort through contact lenses. The most fulfilling aspect of Dr. Cerenzie’s work is witnessing the life-changing impact of these lenses – from the joy of a patient seeing their child’s freckles for the first time to the newfound confidence in driving at night. Dr. Cerenzie is extremely passionate about what she does, and is honored to make a difference in her patient’s lives!
Dr. Ariel Cerenzie is a West Texas native who fell in love with North Carolina in 2018 and decided to call Charlotte home. Dr. Cerenzie is married and has two young daughters. They also have two dogs, Otis the Lab, and Remi the (crazy) Weimaraner. In her free time, Dr. Cerenzie enjoys mountain biking, hiking, fitness, water sports, and traveling. Dr. Cerenzie also enjoys live music, especially EDM. One fun fact is that Dr. Cerenzie was on the waterski team at Texas A&M.
Click here for Dr. Cerenzie’s full bio.
Our Specialties
Specialty Contact Lenses
Specialty Contact
Lenses
Myopia Management
Myopia
Management
Advanced Instruments & Technology
The Charlotte Contact Lens Institute is equipped with sophisticated technology for fitting specialty contact lenses and myopia management. Our focus on specific types of patients allows for unique and advanced instruments which are beyond what is commonly found in most eye clinics. We are proud of the cutting-edge instruments and technology which we have in office, and believe it to be some of the most advanced in the entire United States for the type of patients that we see.
Listed below are several examples of the advanced instruments and technology which we use to offer the best possible contact lenses to our patients.
Pentacam AXL Wave
The Pentacam AXL Wave is a medical device that is currently at a few Optometry offices nationwide. This device collects up to 240,000 unique data points, and these 240,000 data points are used to design a truly custom scleral lens that is specific to each patient’s eyes.
EyePrintPRO & EyeFitPRO
For patients that are unable to wear conventional sclerals, EyePrintPRO is a mold-based contact lens that has no limitations to its design. Often, EyePrintPRO is reserved for patients that are unable to obtain a healthy or comfortable fit with scan-based scleral lenses.
Optovue Solix OCT
The Optovue Solix OCT enhances scleral lens fitting by allowing our doctors to view each individual curve of scleral lenses on eye to fine-tune a patient’s fit. This allows our doctors to make adjustments in the order of microns, which is one-thousandth of a millimeter.
Conditions We Treat
- Keratoconus
- "Difficult to Fit" Eyes
- Graft vs. Host Disease
- Corneal Transplant
- Post-LASIK Ectasia
- Sjogren’s Syndrome
- Corneal Scarring
- Double Vision
- Steven's Johnson Syndrome
- High Astigmatism
- Corneal Irregularities
- Trauma
- Myopia in Children
- Dry Eye Disease
- Migraines / Light Sensitivity
- Myopia in Adults
- Pellucid Marginal Degeneration
- Post-RK (Radial Keratotomy)
Out of Town Patients
Our office has patients visit from all over the Southeastern United States, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Georgia.
In fact, periodically other doctors in an entirely different part of the country will refer patients to the Charlotte Contact Lens Institute.
The first step for out-of-town patients would be to schedule a free and no obligation phone consultation to discuss their specific situation and goals for their vision. We understand it takes a lot of courage and trust in order to travel to see a doctor, and we are available to discuss your situation in depth.
Whether you’re traveling from one hour away, or ten, we will do everything we can to ensure you have a pleasant experience. Our office is located in the SouthPark area of Charlotte, which is a safe and central location, with plenty of shopping, dining, and hotels nearby.
What Our Patients Think of Us
You can check out all of our reviews here.