Can branded sunglasses help protect your eyesight?

An article by Lucy    No Comments

Every year when the Sun starts waking up and chasing away the winter gloom, we start getting bombarded by warnings about Sun damage to our skin. “Use creams with UV protection, don’t expose your skin to direct sunlight, especially from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, wear a hat… “ But what about our eyes? I guess they got forgotten, left behind in this constant struggle to spend tons of money to protect ourselves. I guess it’s because sunglasses last longer than a tub of UV protective cream…

However, the damage the Sun can cause to our eyes is quite real and undeniable. And maybe the worst of it all is that the negative effect the Sun has on our eyes cumulates during the years, inflicting more and more irreparable damage to our eyes. That is why it is important to start shielding our eyes from the Sun at an early age, if we want to avoid eye disease like cataract or eyelid cancer in our more mature years.

The best way to protect your eyes while outdoors is to wear sunglasses. I remember, when I was little, we used to buy cheap sunglasses at the market. They didn’t protect our eyes much. Today I choose randed sunglasses. My favorites are my Ray Ban’s, not because I want to look cool, but because those are the only model of sunglasses I look good wearing. You won’t see me wearing those big, fly-like sunglasses by Versace or Chanel – that’s just not my style.

But listen to me going on about branded sunglasses, like that’s the only criteria when shopping. Far from it – I was never the type that fell for branded anything. I buy things that are of high quality, whether they may be branded or no-name. And when it comes to sunglasses, the main criterion is that they provide 100% protection from UV rays – both UVA and UVB.

The next thing is, of course that I look good wearing them. You can’t blame a girl for trying her best, can you? All jokes aside, you should be mindful of few other things when choosing a pair of sunglasses that will sufficiently protect your eyes, be they no-name or branded sunglasses, are following:
•    Try to choose sunglasses with a tight fit, so you can minimalize the amount of sunlight that hits your eyes
•    Thick sides can also block the sunlight from reaching your eyes
•    If the sunglasses are darker, that doesn’t mean they will protect your eyes better. It’s the coating that counts, not the shading
•    Grey, green and brown colored lenses tend to provide better protection

Now that we have covered all the things you should look for in sunglasses, allow me to mention a few brands of sunglasses that surely offer pairs with 100% UV protection: Kate Spade, Hugo Boss, Ray Ban, Versace, Chanel. And this is where I’ll stop. Because the best way to buy a pair of sunglasses that will provide the best protection for your eyes is to go to the store, ask for sunglasses with 100% UV protection and then choose the one you feel the best wearing, may they be branded sunglasses or no-name ones.