Sunglasses aren’t just accessories that make you look good. Virtually everyone now realises that exposure to the sun will have an accumulative, damaging effect on the skin but it’s really quite surprising how many people still believe that the eyes somehow protect themselves!

Short-term damage to the eyes is hard to notice, but in the long-term, the sun can cause irreversible harm to all structures of the eye and surrounding tissue that are left unprotected or under-protected. These conditions may not manifest for years but by then the damage is already done. That’s why it is important to wear maximum protection beginning in childhood.

Sunlight is at its most intense between the hours of 10:00am and 2:00pm. This means that ultraviolet exposure to the skin is highest in the middle of the day. However, research shows that the eyes are most at risk from exposure to UV radiation during mid-morning and the late afternoon so make sure your eyes are well protected all day.

As well as providing protection from the harmful effects of the sun, certain types of tints can reduce glare and improve contrast in different conditions. Polarising filters are fantastic for cutting out reflected glare from water or a wet road; other tints are brilliant for golf/grass and others for skiing/snow.

Many sunglass frames are fine for prescription glazing (although sometimes in a limited power range) and all of our extensive range of spectacle frames can be fitted with prescription sunglass lenses.