Can Cheap Sunglasses be Harmful?

As the sun comes out, consumers in their thousands start checking out the new sunglass trends, often swiftly followed Google and Instagram searches to find out where to find cheap and cheerful versions of top designer brands.

But, when buying sunglasses, it’s vital to remember that whilst cheap and cheerful may give you the latest style for less, it may well not give you the essential eye health benefits; in fact cheap shades could cause long term eye health issues warns Essilor.co.uk’s eye expert Dr Andy Hepworth.

We’re so used to sunglasses making a fashion statement that it seems we’ve forgotten they have a very important function and may well be going for style over substance. It’s easy to get carried away when you can buy what seem to be stylish sunglasses for as little as £4, or designer knock offs via Instagram or Facebook often without any product information on the lens’ credentials, but If the oversized beauties you covet have little or no UV protection then you could be sacrificing your sight for fashion.

For example, these “Classic Lens Fashion Glasses” from SHEIN UK at just £4 look like a great bargain. And while they do come with a warning, if you bother to look at the drop down + description option, “Fashion Glasses. Not to be worn outside to protect against strong sunlight” you can see that they offer no UV protection and in fact should not even be worn outside.

Or hop over to Facebook and you can buy these beauties – but you’ll be shopping blind as there is no mention of lens quality.  

Dr Andy Hepworth from www.essilor.co.uk explains, “Shockingly, research shows that only 40 per cent of people cite protecting their eyes as a reason for wearing sunglasses, with a further 30 per cent of those questioned completely unaware of the damage that UV rays can do.

“But as well as being a popular fashion accessory, sunglasses should be designed to protect eyes from exposure to UV light that can lead to premature ageing, plus serious eye health issues such as cataracts and age-related macular degeneration. Excessive UV exposure also has been linked to corneal sunburn and retinal tissue damage. It can also cause eye strain and headaches.

“Your eyes have a natural filter, crested by the cornea and crystalline lens. This filter absorbs UV light to protect the retina. However, it is wearing the right sunglasses that will block UV rays from reaching your eyes in the first place, helping to prevent any potential damage to your cornea, crystalline lens and most importantly your retina.”

So, how do we ensure that the sunglasses we choose, won’t just look the part, but will actively protect our eyes? Here are Dr Hepworth’s three top tips for picking sunnies that are not only stylish but will help keep your eyes healthy too.

• Only buy glasses that can authentically prove the UV protection, which will be indicated on the label or shown on the product description. The minimum should ideally be UV 400 protection, which blocks nearly 100% of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, with both UVA and UVB protection. Just don’t assume all cheap sunglasses provide this level of protection, even if a sticker on the lenses says, ‘blocks UV’.

• UV protection is one thing to think about, but sunlight also creates glare which is caused by the sun’s visible rays bouncing of flat surfaces such as roads or your holiday swimming pool. This can be distracting and dangerous. The answer is to check for polarised lenses which cut out this type of glare.

• Don’t be fooled, very dark lenses don’t mean greater eye protection. The latest in tinted lens technology means that your sunglasses can be stylish and effective without compromising on clarity, colour, and contrast. For example, Essicolour Tints have been created in collaboration with the Natural History Museum in Paris using the colour rendering index range to respect natural colour balance. These lenses will reduce distortion to give the very best clarity, whilst muting brightness from the sun.

For those of us who love our sunnies Dr Hepworth has good news, “For optimum eye health you should be wearing sunglasses all year round”, so, no need to apologise for wearing your shades anywhere, anytime.

And his final good news, “Treat yourself to products that will offer long term eye health benefits regardless of price. Whether you opt for a specialist pair of lenses or not, it is not always the ‘price’ that indicates the quality and UV protection. Some lower cost sunglasses can offer the right UV protection. All sunglasses sold in the UK should have a CE mark on them to indicate that they comply with regulatory standards, blocking out 95% of all UV rays below 380 nanometres.

“Ultimately your eyes are extremely valuable, and some damage can be irreversible, so your optician is always the best place to start when it comes to buying your next pair of shades. All opticians offer a wide range of frames and lenses to suit all budgets. You could even enquire about adding specialist lenses into an existing pair of frames.”

Dr Hepworth is an optical specialist for www.Essilor.co.uk

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