There are a number of common myths related to wearing sunglasses; one of the most important among them being that sunglasses are not all that important. Needless to say that this is not true at all. Sunglasses are vital because the sun can inflict some major damage on your eyes. Your sunglasses offer protection from harmful ultraviolet radiations, reducing the risk of skin cancer near the eyes. Also, UV rays are as strong as ever even on cloudy days, so you should actually be wearing your sunglasses on cloudy days as well.
Tint-related myths
People think tints only serve aesthetic purposes and affect just the style quotient of sunglasses. In reality, the tint plays an important role, depending on what you use sunglasses for. If you have rose or yellow tinted lenses, you will find it difficult to differentiate one traffic light from the other. Brown, green or gray lenses are, on the other hand, ideal while driving. The other myth related to tints is that lenses that have darker tint offer more protection than lenses with a light tint. However, the truth is that the tint and the amount of protection from UV rays have no connection at all. Experts say that dark lenses that are not adequately UV protected are much worse for the eyes than not wearing sunglasses at all.
Glass lenses and UV protection
There is another myth about sunglasses that have glass lenses; that they entirely eliminate UV radiation. Actually, glass eliminated just a certain amount of UV radiation, but not all of it. Glass lets UVA radiations pass through it. A related myth is that polarized lenses also offer protection from UV radiation. Polarized lenses certainly cut sun glare and let you see clearly, but they are not designed to cut out UV radiation.
Sunglasses for kids
When it comes to sunglasses for children, a myth is that kids don’t need sunglasses and only wear them to look fashionable. In fact, children spend a lot of time in the sun and need sunglasses more than anyone else. Choose the right pair for your kids after taking into consideration the lens, the frames and tints.
Why size matters
Lastly, most people don’t give much thought to the size of their sunglasses. The fact of the matter is that size does matter and the bigger your sunglasses are, the greater protection they provide to your eyes, skin around the eyes and your eyelids.
