If you enjoy time outdoors, you are going to have to protect those baby blues (or browns, hazels). Picking a quality pair of sunglasses is your number one way to protect your eyes from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, and they can help you see better on those sunny days.
STEP ONE: Consider your activities
Different sunglasses provide different types and different levels of protection.
• Activities: fishing, hiking, sun-tanning
• Destinations: mountains, beach, desert, lake or ocean
• Budget
Step TWO: Basic decisions
1. Lens material
• Polycarbonate- advances in manufacturing technology have
resulted in an impact-resistant lightweight affordable lens, but also amazingly clear. This lens is a lens of choice from most eye care practitioners for all outdoor activities.
• Acrylic- this type of plastic lens is an extremely affordable tough lens as an alternative to polycarbonate lenses. It is an excellent lens for laying around sun-tanning.
2. Lens Color or Tint
• In bright sunny conditions during the summer, you want to cut the glare and reduce eyestrain through the use of brown, gray or green-tinted lenses and a mirrored finish.
• When the sun isn’t shining or you may be driving through the mountains, a rose/vermilion-colored lens is the best. The tint allows for colors to appear brighter and enhance visibility of objects against blue and green backgrounds or cloudy situations.
Step THREE Adequate Protection
UV protection- Invisible ultra-violet (UV) rays can seriously damage your eyes, leading to cataracts, cancer and/or degenerative diseases of your retinas and eye muscles. The amount of protection should be labeled or the optician should know the amount of UV transmission. Cheap, tinted sunglasses with little or no UV protection can actually do more harm than good.
Polarization: This type of lens has a special filter that blocks flat, reflected light (snow, water, glass). These lenses optimize true colors, giving you a clearer view of the world no matter how bright or hazy it is. This is the protection of choice by eye care practitioners for everybody.
The last step is to ind the right pair that you enjoy on your face.
For more information, please call 661-259-2168.