Time to get prescription eyeglasses? Don’t cringe! The days of those huge, thick, bottle-bottom lenses are long over. Innovations in lenses, plus a host of fashionable new frame options, are making prescription eyeglasses one of the trendiest fashion accessories around.
It’s true. Even the best innovations in eye care, such as vision correction surgery or contact lenses, won’t work for everyone. Think of a rock star such as Bono or Elvis Costello. Can you imagine them without their prescription eyeglasses? Then take note, because you can have both the function needed to correct your vision and the fashion that will make you look like your favorite celebrity.
In addition to fashion designers coming up with fabulous lenses, one of the biggest improvements in prescription eyeglasses has been new types of lenses. Those old soda-bottle-bottom lenses are nearly extinct, thanks to new developments such as these:
Aspheric lenses are used to fix minor vision distortions sometimes found in traditional lenses. This type of lens isn’t perfectly rounded on the surface, which helps correct distortions and makes the lens lighter and thinner.
High-index lenses are made with a special plastic that helps you focus more efficiently. This special material refracts light better, so again lens can be thinner and lighter. Polycarbonate lenses are a form of high-index lens, made from a kind of plastic that resists shattering. This tough, scratch-resistant lens often is used for children’s prescription eyeglasses and prescription sports lenses.
Other types of lenses are based on research into how light works and how it moves through the eye. For instance, lenses based on wavefront technology are manufactured on the basis of extremely precise measurements about how light moves through a person’s eye. Using these measurements to create lenses significantly sharpens clarity of vision. They’re the ultimate in personalized eyewear!
Photochromic lenses have been around a while, but they’re still impressive. Thanks to their chemical coating, or to an adaptability built into the lens materials, these prescription eyeglasses darken in bright light, then go back to an undarkened state when the wearer moves inside or goes out at nighttime. Photochromic lenses are especially good for people who go in and out frequently.
Innovations that reduce eye fatigue also are popular for prescription eyeglasses. These include polarized lenses that cut back glare from reflective surfaces and a different kind of anti-reflective coating that reduces reflections on the lens. Prescription eyeglasses also can be made with scratch-resistant, ultraviolet protection, and mirror coatings.
First, optical stores and boutiques often have sales offering “two-for-one” or “buy-one-get-one-half-off” deals. Many wearers of prescription eyeglasses find they can purchase a wardrobe of glasses for less than a new pair of shoes.
Even though your need for prescription eyeglasses means you’re getting older, you don’t have to sacrifice a stylish appearance. Besides choosing the right lenses for your needs, your personal appearance and your lifestyle are the best guides to choosing the right prescription eyeglasses.
It’s important to decide on your lenses before you choose frames, because some kinds of lenses (such as the progressives mention earlier) don’t work with certain sizes of frames. Once you’ve selected your lenses, consider the shape of your face and your skin and hair color to choose the frames that are right for you. Don’t be afraid to consider getting a wardrobe of prescription eyeglasses as well. Often optical stores or boutiques will have “two-for-one” deals so you can get a stylish but conservative frame for work and indulge your wild side in a pair of prescription eyeglasses for casual times.
Combine these eye care innovations with the wide range of fashion frame options available, and you have prescription eyeglasses that aren’t merely functional, they’re fun!
You must log in to post a comment.