Eyeglasses & Eye Care Community

Fashion of Eyeglasses

Glasses can be a major part of personal expression, from the extravagance of Elton John and Dame Edna Everage, to Groucho Marx and Buddy Holly.

For some celebrities, glasses form part of their identity. American Senator Barry Goldwater continued to wear lensless horn-rimmed spectacles after being fitted with contact lenses because he was not recognizable without his trademark glasses.

British soap star Anne Kirkbride had the same problem: her character on Coronation Street, Deirdre Barlow, became so well-known for her big frames that she was expected to wear them at social gatherings and in international tours, even though Kirkbride has always worn contact lenses.

Drew Carey continued to wear glasses for the same reason after getting corrective laser eye surgery. British comedic actor Eric Sykes, who became profoundly deaf as an adult, wears glasses that contain no lenses; they are actually a bone-conducting hearing aid.

Masaharu Morimoto wears glasses to separate his professional persona as a chef from his stage persona as Iron Chef Japanese. John Lennon wore his round-lens ‘Windsor’ spectacles from some of his time with the Beatles to his murder in 1980. The rock band Weezer is known for some of the members wearing thick-rimmed glasses.

In popular culture, glasses were all the disguise Superman and Wonder Woman needed to hide in plain view as alter egos Clark Kent and Diana Prince, respectively. An example of halo effect is seen in the stereotype that those who wear glasses are intelligent or, especially in teen culture, even geeks and nerds. Some people who find that wearing glasses may look nerdy turn to contact lenses or laser eye surgery, especially under peer pressure.

Another unpopular aspect of glasses is their inconvenience. Even through the creation of light frames, such as those made of titanium, very flexible frames, and new lens materials and optical coatings, glasses can still cause problems during rigorous sports.

The lenses can become greasy or trap vapour when eating hot food, swimming, walking in rain or rapid temperature changes (such as walking into a warm building from cold temperatures outside), reducing visibility significantly. Scraping, fracturing, or breakage of the lenses require time-consuming and costly professional repair, though modern plastic lenses are almost indestructible and very scratch-resistant.

Apple, Inc. co-founder Steve Wozniak had a pair of eyeglasses made with lenses in the shape of the well-known Apple logo.

The lenses were made from a block of acrylic, laminated from layers in the usual rainbow colors, and machined into the appropriate outline, with a custom-made frame in the same shape. They were made by a Silicon Valley optician.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Variations of Eyeglasses

Glasses can be very simple, such as magnifying lenses which are used to treat mild hyperopia and presbyopia can be bought off the shelf, normally referred to as reading glasses.

Most glasses are made to a particular prescription, based on degree of myopia or hyperopia combined with astigmatism. Lenses can be ground to specific prescriptions, but in some cases standard off-the-shelf prescriptions suffice, but require custom fitting to particular frames.

As people age, their ability to focus is lessened and many decide to use multiple-focus lenses, bifocal or even trifocal to cover all the situations in which they use their sight.

Traditional multifocal lenses have two or three distinct viewing areas, each requiring a conscious effort of refocusing. Some modern multifocal lenses, such as Progressive lenses (known as “no-line bifocals”), give a smooth transition between these different focal points and is unnoticeable by most wearers, while others have lenses specifically intended for use with computer monitors at a fixed distance.

People may have several pairs of glasses, one for each task or distance, with specific glasses for reading, computer use, television watching, and writing.

Rimless

Three-piece rimless and semi-rimless glasses are common variations that differ from regular glasses in that their frames do not completely encircle the lenses. Three-piece rimless glasses have no frame around the lenses, and the bridge and temples are mounted directly onto the lenses. Semi-rimless (or half-rimless) glasses have a frame that only partially encircles the lenses (commonly the top portion), which are held in place most often by high strength nylon wire.[13] A rare and currently non commercial variation are rimless and frameless glasses attached to a piercing at the bridge of a wearers nose.[14] Such glasses have the visual look of the pince-nez.

Glazing

Spectacle lenses are edged into the frame’s rim using glazing machines operated by ophthalmic technicians. The edging process begins with a trace being taken of the frame’s eye shape. In earlier days the trace was replicated onto a plastic pattern called a Former. Nowadays the process is patternless and the shape is sent to the edger electronically.

The lens, in the form of a round uncut, is positioned in the correct manner to match the prescription and a block is stuck to the lens and that block fits into a chuck in the edging machine. A diamond coated wheel spins as the edger replicates the frame’s eye-shape to the uncut lens. A ‘v’ bevel is applied to allow the edge of the lens to fit into the frame rim.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Classifies of Contact Lenses By Wear Time

A daily wear contact lens is designed to be removed prior to sleeping. An extended wear (EW) contact lens is designed for continuous overnight wear, typically for 6 or more consecutive nights.

Newer materials, such as silicone hydrogels, allow for even longer wear periods of up to 30 consecutive nights; these longer-wear lenses are often referred to as continuous wear (CW). Generally, extended wear lenses are discarded after the specified length of time. These are increasing in popularity, due to their obvious convenience.

Extended- and continuous-wear contact lenses can be worn for such long periods of time because of their high oxygen permeability (typically 5-6 times greater than conventional soft lenses), which allows the eye to remain healthy.

Extended lens wearers may have an increased risk for corneal infections and corneal ulcers, primarily due to poor care and cleaning of the lenses, tear film instability, and bacterial stagnation.

Corneal neovascularization has historically also been a common complication of extended lens wear, though this does not appear to be a problem with silicone hydrogel extended wear.

The most common complication of extended lens use is conjunctivitis, usually allergic or giant papillary conjunctivitis (GPC), sometimes associated with a poorly fitting contact lens.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Classifies of Contact Lenses By Material

Contact lenses are classified in many different manners.

Contact lenses, other than the cosmetic variety, become almost invisible once inserted in the eyeThe first contact lenses were made of glass, which caused eye irritation, and were not wearable for extended periods of time.

But when William Feinbloom introduced lenses made from polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA or Perspex/Plexiglas), contacts became much more convenient. These PMMA lenses are commonly referred to as “hard” lenses (this term is not used for other types of contacts).

However, PMMA lenses have their own side effects: no oxygen is transmitted through the lens to the cornea, which can cause a number of adverse clinical events. In the late 1970s, and through the 1980s and 1990s, improved rigid materials ??which were also oxygen-permeable ??were developed.

Collectively, these polymers are referred to as rigid gas permeable or ‘RGP’ materials or lenses. One advantage of hard lenses is that, due to their non-porous nature, they do not absorb chemicals or fumes. The absorption of such compounds by other types of contacts can be a problem for those who are routinely exposed to painting or other chemical processes.

Rigid lenses offer a number of unique properties. In effect, the lens is able to replace the natural shape of the cornea with a new refracting surface. This means that a regular (spherical) rigid contact lens can provide good level of vision in people who have astigmatism or distorted corneal shapes as with keratoconus.

While rigid lenses have been around for about 120 years, soft lenses are a much more recent development. The principal breakthrough in soft lenses made by Otto Wichterle led to the launch of the first soft (hydrogel) lenses in some countries in the 1960s and the approval of the ‘Soflens’ material (polymacon) by the United States FDA in 1971. Soft lenses are immediately comfortable, while rigid lenses require a period of adaptation before full comfort is achieved.

The polymers from which soft lenses are manufactured improved over the next 25 years, primarily in terms of increasing the oxygen permeability by varying the ingredients making up the polymers.

A small number of hybrid rigid/soft lenses exist. An alternative technique is piggybacking of contact lenses, a smaller, rigid lens being mounted atop a larger, soft lens. This is done for a variety of clinical situations where a single lens will not provide the optical power, fitting characteristics, or comfort required.

In 1999, ’silicone hydrogels’ became available. Silicone hydrogels have both the extremely high oxygen permeability of silicone and the comfort and clinical performance of the conventional hydrogels. These lenses were initially advocated primarily for extended (overnight) wear, although more recently daily (no overnight) wear silicone hydrogels have been launched.

While it provides the oxygen permeability, the silicone also makes the lens surface highly hydrophobic and less “wettable.” This frequently results in discomfort and dryness during lens wear. In order to compensate for the hydrophobicity, hydrogels are added (hence the name “silicone hydrogels”) to make the lenses more hydrophilic.

However the lens surface may still remain hydrophobic. Hence some of the lenses undergo surface modification processes which cover the hydrophobic sites of silicone. Some other lens types incorporate internal rewetting agents to make the lens surface hydrophilic.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Introduction of  Contact Lenses

A contact lens ( also known simply as a “contact” ) is a corrective, cosmetic, or therapeutic lens usually placed on the cornea of the eye.

Modern soft contact lenses were invented by the Czech chemist Otto Wichterle, who also invented the first gel used for their production. Contact lenses usually serve the same corrective purposeasconventional glasses, but are lightweight and virtually invisible any commercial lenses are tinted a faint blue to make them more visible when immersed in cleaning and storage solutions.

Some cosmetic lenses are deliberately colored to alter the appearance of the eye.It has been estimated that 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide (2%), including 28 to 38 million in the United Statesand 13 million in Japan.

The types of lenses used and prescribed vary markedly between countries, with rigid lenses accounting for over 20% of currently-prescribed lenses in Japan, Netherlands and Germany but less than 5% in Scandinavia. People choose to wear contact lenses for various reasons.

Many consider their appearance to be more attractive with contact lenses than with glasses. Contact lenses are less affected by wet weather, do not steam up, and provide a wider field of vision. They are more suitable for a number of sporting activities. Additionally, ophthalmological conditions such as keratoconus and aniseikonia may not be accurately corrected with glasses.

Popularity: 14% [?]

Introduce oIntroduce of Lens Types of Sunglasses

There are about four common types of lens including polycarbonate, glass, acrylic and unless started otherwisePolycarbonate: The most common lens material used in sunglasses today.

Offers the highest impact resistance of any lens material.

Addition, polycarbonate lenses are 10x more impact resistant than conventional plastic or glass lenses.

Polycarbonate can be mixed with many tints to produce lens shades. After injection, the material is placed in a centrifical force mechanism to adjust its optical correctness and curvature base.

Glass: Has the best optical quality and higest scratch resistance of all lens materials, although its weight should be considered. Also the material of choice for perscription sunglass lenses.

Acrylic: Unlike polycarbonate or glass, acrylic is not naturally UV protective. As a result, UV coatings are applied during the manufacturing process.

Unless stated otherwise, all sunglasses featured at The Sunglass Man feature polycarbonate lenses.

Popularity: 15% [?]

How to Choose Sunglasses Frames Right For You

Frame:

There are about five basic shapes:  square, round, triangular, oblong, or oval.

Your face may come in one of them. By following the guiding tips below, we wish you select from one or more frame shapes or styles to suit your features to bring you a best look. Square Face Compliment a square face with frames that are slightly curved. The top of the frames should sit high enough on the face to downplay the jawline.

1.Round Face

To play down the roundness, select frames with straight or angular lines. Deep color such as black or tortoise also minimizes fullness.

2.Narrow Face

We defined it by a set of chin and cheek are of nearly the same width while facial length is far greater than the width.With this face shape frames should cover as much of the center of the face as possible in order to minimize the length.

3.Triangular Face

We defined it by a broad forehead while narrow mouth and chin. Do avoid large frames, heavy nose bridges, bold colors and square shapes.

You should choose frames with a thin rim and vertical lines to help balance the bottom part of the face. Your frames should not sit too high on the face or they will emphasize the triangular shape.Do avoid large frames, heavy nose bridges, bold colors and square shapes.

4.Oblong Face

I think this face shape is the best for good look with all frames.Just be sure to make size of the frames in proportion to the face. You needn’t do anything else.

Popularity: 17% [?]

How to Pick Eyeglasses : Plastic Vs. Metal

Learn how to choose between plastic and metal eyeglass frames with expert tips in this free video series on eyeglasses

Popularity: 21% [?]

How to Choose Men’s Eyeglasses : Gucci Men Popular

Learn about the Gucci brand of men’s eyeglasses with expert men’s fashion tips in this free optical video clip.

Popularity: 20% [?]

Doing Eyewear Shopping With Less Time

The internet continues to work to the advantage of the consumer. In the case of Sunglasses and Prescription Eyewear, the internet has made it possible for more retailers to compete for your business with lower prices and better service.

The availability of inexpensive prescription eyeglasses means my dream of having a wardrobe full of stylish frames to match any of my many moods is within the realm of reality. I have been seriously searching Google for sites that sell glasses and I think I know each dealer by heart and can recite every model number in their catalog. Now that I know there are stores on the internet that sell prescription glasses for $7.00, I am in disbelief when I see the prices in the stores at the mall.

Cheap-chic means different things to different people. For those who want the best price on the best labels, such as Ray-Ban, Serengeti, D&G or Spy Optic, you will be rewarded if you do your Google homework. Look for dealers who only sell authentic product with warranty. My goal is more on the side of quantity than quality so I?? willing to forego a familiar logo.

I still deciding on which dealer to try first. I want to keep the level of risk low in case it doesn?? work out right away. I am hoping to find a dealer I can return to many times.

Not all of the discount dealers instill the kind of confidence that makes me willing to turn over my credit-card information to them. I become especially concerned when a web site does not list key pieces of contact information or does not describe a return policy.

Popularity: 21% [?]

Right Size Glasses Online

Knowing your glasses size is especially important when you buy glasses online. If you haven’t had a chance to try on the frames in a store, you want to make sure the glasses will fit for comfort and looks.

When I try on glasses in the store, I always look at the measurement information that is printed on the inside of one of the temples or on the bridge. You don’t have to try on too many glasses before you begin to know your size.

The size information is a set of three numbers that are measurements in millimeters. For example, I recently bought frames that are size 54-19-140. The first number (54) is the horizontal width of one lens. The second number (19) is the distance between lenses, and the third number (140) is the length of one of the temples. I am a larger person and this is the bigger size in this style. The smaller frame is 52-17-140.

At OpticsPlanet, we provide this size information on each page that describes our Sunglasses, Prescription Sunglasses and Eyeglasses.

The first thing I consider when choosing the right size is to make sure the glasses are at least as wide as my face. Otherwise, the glasses will look and feel too small. The width of glasses includes the horizontal width of one lens times two (one for each lens) PLUS the distance between the lenses PLUS the distance the temples stick out which can be a few millimeters. It is helpful if you know the width of your face, otherwise, after you try on a few pairs, you’ll know the minimum horizontal lens width you need.

I don’t use the value for the distance between lenses as a guide for fitting over my nose. The number can be misleading especially if the shape of the lenses bring them close together at the bridge. I use the number to get a sense of the overall width of the frames.

Sometimes, there isn’t a lot of choice in the length of the temples. A number like 140 is common. However, for myself, I have found that a temple that is longer than 140 is more comfortable and provides greater stability. A temple that is too short may not have enough length for proper final fitting and adjustment.

Also, a temple that is the proper length looks better by going straight back across your head and not angled up. The temple length number can be misleading. A frame that wraps may have a temple length that appears to be short, but you need to take the wrap into consideration which pushes the temples back over your ears.

When you know the size that fits you best, you can confidently by glasses online and take advantage of great savings on the best brands. See our Sunglasses Guide and our Rx Prescription Guide for more information about choosing glasses that fit well.

At OpticsPlanet, we have a flexible Return Policy and many of our customers order several pairs of glasses at a time with the idea to keep what they like and return the others for a full refund. This is a good way to try glasses you buy online.

We have a lot of experience helping customers with special size needs such as smaller or larger frames. I will talk about our recommendations for those situations in a future blog. In the mean time, people with smaller faces should consider child size frames such as the Ray-Ban Junior. The junior Raybans are way cool smaller versions of the classics. For larger faces, see the Ray Ban Highstreet, the S-flex models by Serengeti and the Bolle Spiral.

Popularity: 13% [?]

What should be considered when you choose contact lenses ?

When you are choosing contact lenses,many factors should be considered including your lifestyle,health,astigmatism,corneal curvature,allergies,dry eyes,hygiene,previous over-wear,frequency of use and so on.
Seeing your Optometrist will help you determine the best type of contact lenses for your eyes.

1. A Good Eye Health?

Before you decide to wear contact lenses,you should cheak for your eye health.You can wear only if you have a good health.The healthiest type of lens is the daily disposable soft lens. These lenses are always sterile when inserted into the eyes as they are never kept overnight. This means that no dirt, bugs or tear proteins can accumulate which all have the potential to cause problems. Fortnightly and Monthly disposables are also available which still require daily cleaning and overnight storage with contact lens solutions.

2. Have Astigmatism?

Normally,your eye is shape like a tennis ball.But with astigmatism,your eye is not perfectly round like a tennis ball.At a certain level of astigmatism the contact lens prescription needs to be “tailor-made” in order for you to see clearly. Lenses that cater to astigmatism are called Torics and are available in both rigid and soft form.
It is often possible to fit a normal rigid contact lens and correct the problem without the need for a Toric with lower levels of astigmatism.If you have mainly short or long-sight with very little astigmatism, a normal soft contact lens is generally fine for you just.

3.What are lifestyle?

Your lifestyle often determines your the requirements of sight correction, which in turn influences the type of contact lens suitable.And if you may work in an office and use the computer all day, for which you wear spectacles; perhaps you play golf, or football once per week and find that your spectacles “steam up”?A limited supply of daily disposables just for sport would be your best option rather than monthly disposables, which require cleaning and will not be used often enough to make them worthwhile.

If you are a rugby player and require good side vision in order to perform optimally, full-time contact lens wear is probably your wisest option.
Frequent jet-setters may prefer spectacles as contact lenses inevitably dry out whilst flying. Whatever your lifestyle, your optometrist will prescribe contact lenses tailored to your needs

4.Have Any Allergies?

Hayfever, eczema or asthma sufferers may find contact lenses more uncomfortable than most people. Allergies can create an over-sensitized eye, rendering increased lens awareness. Also, the eye reacts to dirt and proteins on the lens much more and may cause the upper eyelid to develop bumps. This is called contact lens related papillary Conjunctivitis. The best solution for those with severe allergies is to wear lenses infrequently (up to 3 times/week) and to use daily disposables. If your lifestyle requires you to use lenses constantly, then disposables are still the best option. Occasionally some individuals are allergic to a certain lens material or a certain lens solution.

5.With Dry Eyes?

If you suffer from chronic dry, smarting eyes. It may cause increased lens awareness after some hours of lens wear. Your optometrist will prescribe an alternative lens with a different water content, fitting or material, in order to improve the comfort. Preservative-free contact lens comfort drops are also advised.

6.Your Frequency Of Use.

Are you only wish to use contact lenses for a sporting activity once per week? If you are,a daily disposable will be most suitable from both a health and cost perspective. Rigid lenses are not recommended as they need to be used most days in order to achieve best comfort. Those who wear their lenses sporadically may wish to consider fortnightly or monthly disposables. Your optometrist will be able to discuss the various options most suited to your requirements.

7.Your Previous Over-wear

If you have previously over-worn your contact lenses, your eyes will need more oxygen.So you may be told to use a higher water content, or higher Dk, lens.Because it may be a soft or rigid lens.? Remember to give your eyes a break and use your spectacles one day per week.Just remember.

8.Other factors

Such as corneal curvature,hygiene and so on to be considered.

Popularity: 13% [?]

How To Choose Sunglasses

Do you wear sunglasses outside? Whether you do or not, sunglasses are important to the heralth of your eyes.There are many shapes, colors,and lens designs of sunglasses.And it would be difficult for you to pick one that is right for you for each person is so different.As a professional Optician,i would like to guide you.

How to choose frames?

Sunglasses frames today vary from wraps to Jackie Os.Metals, plastics and maybe many others. When choosing frames you must remember this, choose a frame that is slightly larger, with placement close to the face. This will help prevent light from streaming into the eye. The best example may be a wrap frame. Many manufactures including Nike and Carrera make them right now. The only disadvantage is that it is difficult to put a prescription in them due to the extreme wrap of the frame. It’s too flat for most prescription lenses to successfully stay in a frame to give you clear vision. Right now,new trends in frames include a lot of embellishments including rhinestones and inlays.

It’s examples are the Christian Dior Monday and the Via Spiga 402-s. Another new strongley trend is the drilled mounted shields. Ralph Lauren, Giorgio Armani and Kate Spade all provide excellent choices for you both for non prescription and prescription.

How to choose lenses?

Lenses also are of various designs. And the most rocommended for sun wear is polarized. Because it can removes all reflective glare. So boaters and fishermen usually wear them to see clearer into the water, and now it is recommend for everyone.

There are many colors including the neutralizing even transmission gray, the contrasting brown and the popular g-15 Rayban color. It also comes in all types of prescriptions including sv, bifocals, trifocals and popular Varilux Progressives.You wouldn’t need to matter the it’s thickness either because they may come in all types of materials including polycarbonate,hi index,plastic and so on.

Other Choices

Other choices there are too. There are photo chromic lenses. These lenses change color with the uv rays from the sun. They are 100% uv protective, come in gray and brown.When an Anti-reflective coating is added, the lenses are perfectly clear indoors and sunglass darkness in direct sunlight.. There is one disadventage also, the lenses do not change color in a car. Because the ultraviolet rays needed to change the lenses will be absorbed by windshields of cars

If you do not care about what is talked above.You could also just choose the traditional sunglasses.With a dark lens in either gray (the number one choice), brown, or any other fashion tint under the sun.The trendiest colors right now are cooper, coral, mint green and aqua. Keep in mind these are not true sun lenses.

If they are tinted to dark, they can effect driving and effect contrast. Standard tint should allow between 8% and 30% transmission of light to the eye.You must remember that each pair of sunglasses should be 100% UVA and UVB protective.

And you shuoldn’t go by the stickers or designer name.Do make a cheak of them and have your taste!

Popularity: 16% [?]

Aspheric Eyeglasses Lenses

It should be well known that the aspheric eyeglass lenses is important for optometrists to provide better vision to their patients.

Althrough aspheric eyeglass lenses are thinner and of less weight,provide better off axis performance.? Because through a wider portion of the lens,aspheric eyeglass lenses allowe increased visual acuity.

Aspheric eyeglass lenses are just lenses varying slightly from a fine,spherical shape.But why are aspheric eyeglass lenses so important to an optician when designing a lens?

When designing a lens an optician has to deal with a few aberrations to design a lens that improves the patient’s sight.These aberrations include spherical aberration, coma, radial astigmatism, curvature of field, and distortion.These five aberrations collectively are just known as? Seidel Aberrations described by Ludwig Von Seidel in the 1850’s.

Why aspheric eyeglass lenses can correct the spherical aberration. Here is an example: It can be shown in the picture that when the eye is looking straight ahead the ray has a shorter distance to focus than if the eye was rotated to look through the periphery of the lens.We must account for this change in vertex distance,or distance between the lens and eye,otherwise we will be out of focus when viewing objects through the periphery.

And the change in curvature can be used by aspheric eyeglass lenses to accommodate for the change in distance.And with the designed aspheric eyeglass lenses,the patient can have much improved sight through the periphery of the lens right now.

This is just why designed aspheric eyeglass lenses became more and more popular in our daily prescription eyeglasses wear.

Popularity: 18% [?]