Charlotte Contact Lens Institute

Where Advanced Technology

Meets Compassionate Care

Specializing in Specialty Contact Lenses and Myopia Management

Our Office

Where Advanced Technology

Meets Compassionate Care

Specializing in Specialty Contact Lenses and Myopia Management

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!!

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dr-daniel

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.

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dr-ariel

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.

Our Specialties

Specialty Contact Lenses

Specialty Contact
Lenses

Specialty contact lenses are prescribed for patients who have experienced unsatisfactory results in conventional soft contact lenses. Great candidates for specialty contact lenses include those with high astigmatism, keratoconus, LASIK complications, corneal transplants, post-trauma, etc.
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Myopia Management

Myopia
Management

Myopia Management is useful for children who experience worsening prescription changes every year. Myopia management options will help your child see clearly and slow the progression of their myopia to prevent the need for thicker glasses every year.
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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.

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

KELA HOUSTONKELA HOUSTON
12:44 23 Apr 24
The BEST care and Dr.Ariel has given me a second chance in enjoying my life. I’m seeing life in a better way!
Jen MadronJen Madron
22:25 22 Apr 24
Dr. Cerenzie is amazing and very knowledgeable. She explains things in away that just makes sense. I highly recommend her and her clinic. Her receptionist is also very kind and sends over the information as soon as it becomes available.
Chris BiggsChris Biggs
18:15 18 Apr 24
Best in the business. I have keratoconus and Dr. Ariel Cerenzie is the only person I trust to create my contacts. She is patient, kind, understanding, and very adept in this field of medicine. I am just lucky she calls Charlotte home.
ChrisChris
19:05 11 Apr 24
The fact that I am typing this review on my computer without wearing eyeglasses is a testament to Dr. Cerenzie at the Charlotte Contact Lens Institute. For 20 years, I looked for a doctor to properly fit contacts but was unable to find one who could deal with my keratoconus. However, Dr. Crenzie's immeasurable patience, skill, and determination made it happen.
Thomas StanleyThomas Stanley
12:21 10 Apr 24
Dr. Cerenzie is simply amazing!!! The competency and customer service are at the highest level and the outcome was life changing. I recommend Charlotte Contact Lens to anyone looking for the custom perfect solution!
Erik YoungErik Young
19:27 26 Mar 24
Dr Cerenzie really understands the issues around kerataconus. I have been struggling with providers and lens fitting for a decade. She took the time to listen to my whole story. She understood my issues and my goals. I realize now my bar may have been set too low! With a result of 20/15 vision, I have never seen this good even before I got glasses in the second grade! I can only barely express my gratitude for her terrific care and the new vistas it has reopened for me that I believed forever lost. You will not find a better provider for this kind of special care in all of North Carolina.
Danny MangieriDanny Mangieri
21:48 24 Jan 24
Dr. Ariel Cerenzie is incredibly kind and enjoyable to work with. One thing that stands out the most to me is how responsive she is. It is very easy to get a hold of her when you have questions or issues which is a very rare trait for a busy doctor. Charlotte contact lense institute provides great products/services that have greatly improved my day-to-day life. I would recommend to anyone!
Melissa WatsonMelissa Watson
04:45 19 Jan 24
Dr. Cerenzie is one of the best eye doctors in the Charlotte area. To find a Doctor that can identify with your struggle is better than hitting the lottery! She is very patient and answers every question that you have. She works hard to make sure you get a contact lens that fits perfect and gives you vision that is 20/20 or better! Thank you Dr. Cerenzie for helping me to see the world better than I have ever seen it before.
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