Fashion Sunglasses Need UV Protection

Did you know that Calgary is the sunniest of all the major cities in Canada? Calgarians experience an average of 2,396 hours of bright sunshine per year. That’s over half of Calgary’s total daylight hours every year. Those hours of sunshine are spread out over 333 days per year, which is the most days of sunshine for any city in Alberta. No wonder we love to live in Calgary! Of course, this means you need to ensure that your sunglasses come with UV protection.

We’ve been taught to take care of our skin when we’re out in the bright summer sunshine and it’s important to think about protecting our eyes too. It doesn’t matter whether we are outside enjoying the bright Calgary sunshine in the summer or in the winter, our eyewear should protect us—but from what? Uncomfortable light sensitivity, distracting glare, and harmful ultraviolet light are the three main culprits.  

When it comes to our vision, we all feel more sensitivity to sunlight on a bright sunny day than we do on a grey, overcast day. Choosing a dark pair of sunglass lenses will help make patients more comfortable in the bright Calgary sunshine, and the colour chosen is what dictates the fashion of our sunglass lenses. In terms of comfort and vision, a neutral grey lens colour is the most natural because it decreases the brightness of all colours equally. Since it doesn’t shift your perception of colour, it’s the most popular colour for sunglasses. If you need to shift the colour to make something easier to see, such as the golf ball on the course, or when you are skeet shooting, ask Dr. Doig and Dr. Chorel at your next exam which colour will be the most helpful. Otherwise, choose the colour that best suits your style and your fashion!

In the eyecare industry, basic coloured lenses are called “Fashion Tints”.  It’s important to think of fashion tints as just that, because they really don’t offer protection from harmful UV light and distracting glare.  In fact, because the darker tint will allow the pupil to dilate slightly, fashion tints will actually allow more harmful UV radiation enter into they eye.  That’s why laws and regulations require manufacturers to include UV protection in all non-prescription sunglasses sold in Canada. Just remember that this is not a requirement everywhere in the world, so be careful about purchasing sunglasses at the swap meet on your sunny holiday away from Canada.

At Calgary’s Doig Optometry, we ensure that all the sunglasses we sell include UV protection for your eyes. This is true of all the prescription and non-prescription sunglasses we provide to our patients. To read more about the importance of UV protection for your eyes, click here.  To learn more about our sunglasses brands and to book an appointment, please call us at 403-333-3353 today!

© 2024 Doig Optometry All Rights Reserved.