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Fashion aside, sunglasses serve an important purpose - protecting eyes from the harmful rays produced by the sun. You’re probably well aware of the need to protect your skin from the sun, but your eyes are just as important, if not more so.
The dangers of Ultraviolet Radiation: Ultraviolet (UV) radiation consists of invisible rays from the sun. The three bands of UV light are: UV-A, UV-B and UV-C. The eyewear we sell in this store provide 100% UV protection from all the bands of UV light.
Why you need to protect your eyes from UV rays
UV-B is the most dangerous radiation of all. It is the one that will burn the skin and can damage the eyes. High levels of exposure, even for a short time has the potential to cause snow blindness, a temporary condition but very painful.
Although not all scientists agree, there is some research that suggests that daily exposure to UVB in very bright sunlight over a period of many years may cause cataracts - a gradual clouding of the lens of the eye.
UV-A (Backlight) rays are primarily absorbed within the lens of the human eye, though there are no documented disorders of the human eye from UV-A. This, however, remains a much debated and researched topic.
UV-C (253.7nm wavelength) causes skin redness and eye irritation, but is not considered to be dangerous.
Ballistic rated lenses
Ballistic rated lenses are a minimum of 2.1mm thick and are made from shatterproof selenite UV treated polycarbonate that far exceeds ANSI Z87.1 safety and ANSI Z80.3 optical standards. Ballistic lenses are made using special formulates and die-cuts to eliminate distortion, giving the user perfect optical clarity.
Take care to buy quality eye protection
Bear in mind that a dark lens tint does not necessarily mean that the lens blocks UV rays. If you are outside, don’t buy any sunglasses that are not 100% UV rated. Some prescription and over-the-counter drugs may make you more sensitive to UV radiation in sunlight. Your physician, optometrist or pharmacist can advise you about this. UV-blocking sunglasses will reduce the chances of eye damage due to solar UV rays if you are taking photosensitizing drugs.
1. Beware of cheap sunglasses you see sold on holiday or on discount websites which may have poor lenses that cause distorted reflections from the lens surfaces. These indicate that the lenses have not been ground or moulded to optical quality. Lenses that show severely distorted images can cause headaches – leave them on the rack or send them back!
2. Check the quality of the frames and fit.
4. We take eye safety very seriously! Most sunglasses frames and lenses are not strong enough to resist the impact of a stone or piece of debris. Broken frames and/or lenses can cause very serious eye injuries. You can get both impact and UV protection from your eyewear and in the latest wraparound styles.
Looking after your sunglasses
ALCOHOL BASED SOLUTIONS WILL DESTROY AN RX CLIP. We will not cover warranty on any Rx clips that have been cleaned with alcohol or other spirit-based solutions.
Most insect repellents are made up using a chemical solution called Deet. This is extremely harmful to plastics, and there is a good chance that it will completely destroy your sunglasses if it comes into contact with them. We strongly advise users of our eyewear not to use Deet-based repellents and sport sunglasses at the same time. We will not provide replacement parts under warranty where they have been damaged by Deet-based products.
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