Choosing the Best Glasses for You!

So, you need glasses. One of the things that people find most overwhelming about being told that they need glasses isn’t the fact that they need help to see clearly, but actually choosing the right glasses to wear. This is especially true for those patients who will be wearing their glasses most of the time.

The truth is that a pair of glasses can significantly change our appearance. They can even change our self-perception. This means that it is absolutely crucial to choose glasses that are both the right color and style to suit you, and that has the necessary elements to give you the best possible vision.  
 

Understanding face shapes and glasses frames

The style of the glasses that you choose will probably be your immediate priority. Understanding more about your face shape can make the process of choosing the right frames considerably easier and less stressful.

Round faces tend to be complemented by angular, narrow frames that elongate the face and make it look slimmer.

Heart-shaped faces look great in rimless frames, or glasses with frames that are wider at the bottom of the lens.

Triangular faces can be balanced by choosing frames that are heavier across the brow, such as cat-eye styles.

Diamond faces are rare, but if you are blessed with one, choose glasses with detailing along the brow line and oval-shaped lenses.

Oval faces are the most common and their balanced proportions mean that most frames suit them. Nevertheless, they look especially great in frames that are slightly wider than the broadest part of your face.

Oblong faces suit glasses frames that have detailing on the temples and that adds depth to the face.

Square strong faces can have their features softened by narrow or oval-shaped frames.
 

Lens coatings

One of the things that you’ll have to decide after selecting your frames is whether you’d like any lens coatings. There are lots to choose between and our team will help guide you through the process. Some of the options will include:

Anti-reflective coating: this eliminates glare and reflections from the front and back surfaces of your lenses.
 

Scratch-resistant coating: as their name suggests, these lenses have greater durability against scratches.

UV coating: UV coating protects your eyes against the damaging effects of the sun.

Anti-fog coating: will help to prevent the likelihood of your glasses fogging up when you come in from outside, or when you wear a face mask.

Photochromic treatment: this specialist treatment causes the lenses to darken automatically in response to sunlight and return to being clear when indoors. These are ideal for people who don’t want to use prescription sunglasses.
 

Non-prescription sunglasses

Even if you don’t need a glasses prescription, you should still be making sure that you protect your eyes from the harmful effects of UV light when you are outdoors. UV damage is accumulative, and over the years, if we don’t protect our eyes from the sun, we could be at increased risk of developing problems like cataracts and macular degeneration. It’s even possible to experience issues like a corneal sunburn after just one exposure to strong UV light. Therefore, it is advisable that you choose a great pair of sunglasses that you can wear when you step outside. And since UV light can even penetrate cloud cover, you’ll get the biggest benefit by wearing them as much as possible.

Choose sunglasses that block out 100% UV light for the best protection. This should be made clear by a sticker or label on the sunglasses that you choose. For added comfort and clarity, consider polarized lenses such as those offered by Maui Jim. Polarized sunglasses sharpen your vision and reduce the amount of glare and sun haze that you might experience in sunny environments.
 

Prescription sunglasses

If you do need prescription lenses, you should consider getting a pair of prescription sunglasses. Prescription sunglasses are sunglasses with your own corrective prescription built into the lenses and are available for almost all corrective prescriptions. Not only will they allow you to see clearly, but they will also protect your eyes against the harmful effects of the sun. If you spend a reasonable amount of time outside or behind the wheel, wearing prescription sunglasses will make it easier and more comfortable for you to see. We can help you to find a pair of frames that you suit you that can then be transformed into sunglasses.

If you’d like more information about how to choose the best sunglasses for you, don’t hesitate to speak to our experienced and knowledgeable eyecare team.