Why Eyeglasses are Still a Popular Choice
Despite the availability of contact lenses and vision correction surgery, eyeglasses are still a popular choice, perhaps more than ever before. The reasons for this can be summed up this way:
High Profile Designer Frames
Designer frames are very popular. They come in a wide array of plastics and metals in styles and colors that are almost limitless. Flexible metal alloys and spring hinges reduce the possibility of breakage.
Making a Fashion Statement
These days, wearing glasses isn’t just for necessity; people choose glasses to make a fashion statement and may even have different pairs to go with different outfits. You can go for the understated look with rimless wire-framed glasses or opt for a solid color or multi-colored plastic frames.
Some frames can even be ordered with enhancements such as precious stone insets.
Advances in Lenses
There are now different choices when choosing the lenses for your eyeglasses. The most popular types of lenses prescribed are:
• Aspheric lenses have a slimmer, more attractive profile than other lenses. They also eliminate the “bug-eyed” look caused by strong prescriptions.
• High index lenses are made of materials that allow the lenses to be noticeably thinner and lighter than regular plastic lenses.
• Polycarbonate lenses are thinner, lighter and up to 10 times more impact-resistant than regular plastic lenses. These lenses are great for safety glasses, children’s eyewear or, indeed, anyone who wants lightweight, durable lenses.
Special Lens Coatings
The following lens coatings can be added to eyeglasses.
• Photochromic lenses are sun-sensitive and darken quickly in bright outdoor light. On returning indoors, they quickly return to a clear state.
• Polarized lenses diminish the glare from flat, reflective surfaces such as water and also reduce eye fatigue.
• Anti-reflective coatings are among the most popular treatments for lenses. It can radically improve the look and comfort of your glasses by reducing the amount of light that reflects off the surface of your lenses. This also has the added benefit of reducing glare and thus lessens eye fatigue.
• Scratch-resistant coatings provide lenses with a much harder surface that is more resistant to scratching, whether from dropping glasses on the floor or occasionally cleaning them with a paper towel. Most eye-glasses today have a built-in scratch-resistant coating but it is sometimes optional, so make sure you tell your optician what you want.
• Ultraviolet treatment is an invisible dye that blocks UV light to keep it from damaging your eyes. Adding this treatment to your regular plastic eyeglass lenses boosts UV protection 100%. Polycarbonate and most high-index plastics already have 100 percent UV protection built-in, so an extra treatment isn’t necessary.
• Mirror coatings are good for reducing the brilliance of light such as sunlight reflecting off of snow. They reflect the light away from the eye and are ideal for people who are light-sensitive.
• Anti-Fog coatings enable your eyeglasses to stay clear when transitioning from a cold to a warm environment. The coating eliminates the condensation of moisture on the lenses that causes fogging. Ask your optician about availability.
