Debunking 5 common myths about sunglasses

Most of the time we find ourselves purchasing a pair of sunglasses based on its design and more often than not, these shades usually come in free sizes. However, according to Grace, most wearers will tend to place their sunglasses up on the head when it starts falling off the bridge of their nose.

“It will cause discomfort in the fit and the wearer might have to tackle with frame falling off the nose bridge or frame smudging their makeup - this will most of the time lead to ladies placing their sunglasses up on the head and exposing their eyes to strong UV ray penetration. To a certain degree, if there is an over-exposure the eyes might age faster and damage gradually.”

Like our skin, our eyes are exposed to Ultraviolet (UV) light which comes in the form of UVA (most damaging), UVB (sunburn, snow-blindness) and UVC (filtered by the ozone layer). Some of the effects that these UV rays have on us include: accelerating age-related macular degeneration in your twilight years; the build-up of lens protein (cataracts) that cloud your vision; and cancers of the eyelids and skin.

Grace recommends “to get your sunglasses from reputable, certified and professionally eyewear retailers or optical shops and not from the roadside stores”. This is also because “it is also hard to tell if a $2-$50 pair of sunglasses is UV coated properly.”

According to Grace, there are many factors to consider when you get your pair of sunglasses. But the top three most important factors are: the fit, the lens and the shape of your shades.

Fit: Finding a pair that fits nicely with your face shape should not give you headaches, or dizziness, and should feel comfortable enough so we won’t have the urge to remove our sunglasses when we are outside.

Lens: Most of the time we would often choose a pair of sunglasses for its aesthetic appeal, however, it’s important to remember that finding one with the right pair of lenses is important. Here, Grace says that it’s recommended that “the lens are polarised and added with an anti-glare coating to give the maximum eye protection and comfort.”

Shape/Material: There are loads of different designs out in the market now that come in different trendy shapes, however, it’s recommended that you choose a pair of sunglasses that cover your eye area to protect both your eyes and the area around it from exposure to harmful UV rays. Grace says that it’s best to choose sunglasses that are “oversized and will always remain so as they could wrap and cover the skin around the eyes nicely away from the harmful UV and larger frames contour your face nicer and slimmer.”

“This is a very good question that I asked the eye doctors as well because I have the impression that we should wear them in the afternoon, which is the hottest part of the day. Boy, was I wrong about this timing! After doing some research and analysis, we found that the timing is actually when you step out of the house to head to work as the sun is right at your eye level between 8am to 10am in the morning and after work sunset hours 4.30pm to 6.30pm.

Afterwards, if you are leaving your car or a building, you need to put on your sunglasses as the sun is still shining bright above your head. It is not very common for people to wear sunglasses indoors as the lenses might affect the visual impact. However, we wear ours in malls with very strong and bright white lights (has UV components that could discolour your skin and damage your eyes over time) to provide comfort and cut the glare effect on your eyes.”

Many assume that the more tinted and darker your lens is, the more protection you’ll get from your sunglasses. Well, as a matter of fact, it’s false.

“The darker the lenses, the better the protection. When you wear sunglasses, it makes your eye sensors believe that they are in low light and pupils will expand and size up to 6mm (think of the cat’s eyes). If the lenses are only dark but not properly UV coated, this expansion allows a higher percentage of harmful UV light into your eyes. The damage is going to be significant over a period of time.”