Tixel 2
Tixel 2 is coming to Rose Optometry, Hamilton. It is not yet available, and we are preparing to introduce it. This page explains what it is, who it may suit and how to register your interest so you are first to be assessed when it launches. Places in the first intake will be limited.
Book a Dry Eye Evaluation online: You can be assessed for suitability now, ahead of launch. open our online booking, then scroll down the appointment list to "Dry Eye Evaluation" and choose a time. This is a paid, in-depth assessment (TearCheck, meibography and ScoutPro osmolarity) and the fee is confirmed when you book. Prefer to talk? Call (07) 847 3195.
What Tixel is
Tixel is a thermomechanical device. A small titanium tip, made up of a grid of tiny pyramids, is heated to a controlled temperature and touched to the skin for milliseconds at a time. The brief contact transfers heat into the very top layers of skin, creating microscopic channels and stimulating the tissue underneath, without cutting, without needles and without laser or light energy. Because there is no light involved, skin type matters less than it does with IPL (dermatology reports include skin types II to V) and it has been applied to periorbital skin and eyelids in published studies.
Two reasons to be interested
1. Dry eye and meibomian gland dysfunction
Applied along the eyelids, Tixel warms the lids and the meibum inside the glands, and appears to improve the quality of the lid tissue around the gland openings so that oil flows more freely. A pilot study and a randomised comparison against LipiFlow report improved tear break-up time, gland function and symptoms in MGD over about three months, and it is being used in Auckland and overseas alongside IPL and LipiFlow, particularly for patients whose skin type or medications rule out IPL. Our article on meibomian gland dysfunction explains why gland function is the heart of most dry eye.
2. Eyelid and under-eye skin
The same controlled heat is thought to stimulate collagen remodelling in the delicate periocular skin. Tixel has been studied for periorbital fine lines, where a randomised comparison found it performed similarly to a non-ablative fractional laser, and it is used for crepey upper-eyelid skin and mild lower-lid laxity. Downtime is typically a day or two of redness rather than the peeling and recovery of ablative resurfacing. It is a treatment for people who want to look rested rather than different, and it sits naturally with an optometrist because we look after the eye behind the eyelid: we assess the tear film, the lids and the ocular surface first, and treat the skin with the eye's health in mind.
Why Hamiltonians currently travel to Auckland
Tixel has so far only been available in a small number of Auckland clinics. We regularly hear from Waikato patients who have made that trip, sometimes several times for a course. Bringing it to Frankton means people from Hamilton, Cambridge, Te Awamutu, Morrinsville, Huntly and Raglan will be able to have assessment, treatment and follow-up in one place, alongside the IPL, LipiFlow, Blephasteam and BlephEx already available here.
The evidence, honestly
Tixel has a younger evidence base than IPL or LipiFlow. The dry-eye studies to date are small, mostly short-term (weeks to months) and include one open-label pilot and one randomised comparison against LipiFlow rather than sham; larger, longer controlled trials are still needed. The results so far are promising, and the periorbital aesthetic use has published dermatology studies behind it, but we will describe it as promising rather than proven, and we will not quote outcome figures we cannot back with your own measurements. As with all our dry-eye work, TearCheck, meibography and ScoutPro osmolarity before and after will show whether it is helping you.
What a course will look like
Based on the published protocols, we anticipate a course of around three sessions, spaced a few weeks apart, each taking roughly 20 to 30 minutes with numbing cream beforehand. Suitability will be decided at an assessment at our Dry Eye Clinic in Hamilton, because the assessment decides the treatment: for some people IPL, LipiFlow or a Demodex programme will still be the right first step, and for some a combination will make sense. Home care from our online store continues in the background. Assessment is also offered at our affiliated practice, Visique Rototuna Optometrists.
Register your interest
Tixel 2 is not yet available at Rose Optometry. If you would like to be assessed for suitability when it launches, register your interest here, or call (07) 847 3195 or email info@roseoptom.co.nz with "Tixel" in the subject line. We will contact registered patients first, and places in the first intake will be limited.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tixel painful?
Numbing cream is used and most people describe a brief hot prickle. Redness and mild swelling settle over a day or two.
Is it a laser?
No. It uses direct, momentary contact heat with no light energy, which is why it has been used on eyelid skin and across a wider range of skin types.
Can I book Tixel now?
Not yet. Register your interest and we will contact you when the first intake opens.
How much does Tixel cost in Hamilton?
Pricing for assessment and treatment courses will be published to registered patients before the first intake opens. We do not publish figures before then because the number of sessions depends on your assessment. Register your interest to be told first.
Does Tixel work for dry eye?
The early studies, including a randomised comparison against LipiFlow, report improved gland function and symptoms in meibomian gland dysfunction over about three months. The evidence is promising but younger and smaller than for IPL or LipiFlow, which is why we describe it that way and will measure your results.
Is Tixel good for under-eye wrinkles and eyelid skin?
Published dermatology studies report improvement in periorbital fine lines comparable to a non-ablative fractional laser, with a day or two of redness. Results are gradual and natural rather than dramatic. Ask about the aesthetic side when you register.
Is Tixel safe near the eyes?
It has been applied to eyelid skin in published studies with protective eye shields in place, and because there is no light energy it does not carry IPL's skin-type restrictions. Suitability is always decided at assessment.
References
- Safir M, Hecht I, Ahimor A, et al. The effect of thermo-mechanical device (Tixel) treatment on evaporative dry eye disease - A pilot prospective clinical trial. Cont Lens Anterior Eye. 2022;45(6):101741. PMID 35864019. doi:10.1016/j.clae.2022.101741
- Sadri E, Verachtert A, Parkhurst GD, et al. Effectiveness and safety of a thermo-mechanical action device versus thermal pulsation device in the treatment of meibomian gland dysfunction. J Cataract Refract Surg. 2025;51(4):274-281. PMID 39680541. doi:10.1097/j.jcrs.0000000000001602
- Sadri E, Verachtert A, Parkhurst GD, et al. Durability of Treatment with a Thermomechanical Device in Meibomian Gland Dysfunction: An Observational Extension Study. J Ocul Pharmacol Ther. 2025;41(5):237-243. PMID 40238710. doi:10.1089/jop.2025.0033
- Salameh F, Daniely D, Kauvar A, Carasso RL, Mehrabi JN, Artzi O. Treatment of periorbital wrinkles using thermo-mechanical fractional injury therapy versus fractional non-ablative 1565 nm laser: A comparative prospective, randomized, double-arm, controlled study. Lasers Surg Med. 2022;54(1):46-53. PMID 34787919. doi:10.1002/lsm.23494
- Wang JV, Bajaj S, Orbuch D, et al. Safety and Efficacy of a Thermomechanical Fractional Injury Device for Periorbital Rhytides. Dermatol Surg. 2023;49(4):374-377. PMID 36826343. doi:10.1097/DSS.0000000000003728
- Daniely D, Judodihardjo H, Rajpar SF, et al. Thermo-Mechanical Fractional Injury Therapy for Facial Skin Rejuvenation in Skin Types II to V: A Retrospective Double-Center Chart Review. Lasers Surg Med. 2021;53(9):1152-1157. PMID 33783848. doi:10.1002/lsm.23400
- Jones L, Craig JP, Markoulli M, et al. TFOS DEWS III: Management and Therapy. Am J Ophthalmol. 2025;279:289-386. PMID 40467022. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2025.05.039
Frequently asked questions
In NZ an optometrist can calculate the prescription for glasses, fit contact lenses, diagnose and treat eye conditions and infections with medication. They can also manage ocular injuries including removing foreign objects. If surgery or specialist treatment is required they can refer to an ophthalmologist (eye surgeon), hospital, or other health care specialist. NZ-trained optometrists must complete a 5-year degree at the University of Auckland before becoming registered.
A dispensing optician has formal training in optical dispensing. They are qualified to help a client choose frames, read a prescription, discuss lens options, take measurements, order and fit glasses.
An ophthalmologist is a medical doctor who has specialised in the treatment of serious eye disease and ocular surgery such as cataract removal. They do not typically prescribe glasses or contact lenses.
While payment is generally required on the day of appointment, we do offer a number of payment options including Afterpay, Genoapay, QCard, and GoCardless.
Yes, we do.
Yes, you can.
Yes, if you are under 16 years of age you may be eligible for a subsidy for glasses. MSD criteria apply.
No. We are closed on public holidays and long weekends as we believe our staff should have the chance to enjoy this time with friends and family.
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