Optical Glasses and Frames

Eyeglass Frames and Lenses... What You Need to Know There are many types of prescription lenses available today. Your eye care professional knows your eyes and face the best. It is very important to purchase your lenses and/or frames through your personal eye doctor so they can ensure the absolute best and most accurate fit for your eyewear. Eyeglasses have also become quite stylish as fashion accessories, especially among fans of high end designers. Many people change their frames in the same way as shoes or handbags, with different colors and styles to match their wardrobes. Multi-colored inlays, composite materials, designer emblems, and enhancements such as insets of precious stones may also be found in popular frame styles. Keep in mind that some frames just aren't right for certain types of lenses. Progressive lenses, for example, often don't work well in today's smaller, stylish frames. And it's best to choose a small, symmetrical frame that centers on your eyes if you have a high prescription. It is a very good idea to consider your lens selection first before buying frames. Eyeglass Lenses Aspheric lenses, which are not perfectly rounded on the surface, recently have been designed as a way to correct for small distortions in vision that can be associated with more traditional lenses. These types of designs also make lenses thinner and lighter. High index materials also are associated with thinner, lighter lenses, because of the more efficient way this special plastic refracts light to help you achieve focus. Because less plastic is needed with high index materials, lens thickness is reduced. Wavefront technology lenses are fabricated based on very precise measurements of the way light travels through your eye, which helps sharpen visual clarity. Polycarbonate is a type of shatter-resistant plastic, considered a major advance over earlier plastics used in lens fabrication. Polycarbonate lenses are lighter and thinner than basic plastic lenses, because they have a higher index. Because polycarbonate lenses are tough and scratch-resistant, they are highly recommended for children and active adults. Photochromic lenses have chemical coatings or special internal changes allowing them to quickly darken in bright conditions, and quickly return to normal in ordinary indoor lighting or at night. Polarized lenses diminish glare from flat, reflective surfaces (like water) and also reduce eye fatigue. Anti-reflective coatings are among the most popular add-ons for lenses. They can dramatically improve the look and comfort of your glasses by minimizing reflected light that might otherwise appear on the lens, which also has the added benefit of reducing glare and thus easing eye fatigue. Eyeglass Lenses for Presbyopia Bifocals: Traditional bifocals have only two ranges of vision - near and far - with a distance zone established in the upper portion of the lens, and the lower zone enabling near vision tasks such as reading located on the bottom half of the lens. The zones are separated by a noticeable line. Trifocals: These lenses have three different zones for seeing at varying distances - near, intermediate, and far - and can be custom made for you to accommodate your lifestyle or occupation. Progressive lenses: These lenses have many advantages over bifocals and trifocals because they allow the wearer to focus at many different distances, not just two or three. Because they have no lines, progressive lenses allow a smooth, comfortable transition from one distance to another. They are a much better option for active, multitasking people. Reading glasses: Reading glasses can be obtained with or without a prescription. Basically, they provide single-vision lenses that sharpen near vision for people with presbyopia and/or hyperopia. <-- Back To Optical