From prescription sports sunglasses to polarized wrap around sunglasses, there’s no doubt about it that sunglasses have become hugely and incredibly popular not only in the United States, but around the world itself as a whole. Because not only are sunglasses an important part of self expression and style to many people (especially during the summer months, which are hot and long and typically require more sun protection than the winter months). It has even been estimated that the majority of such eyewear is only worn to add to a fashion statement, with only around thirty percent or so of all women surveyed saying that they actually wore them to protect their eyes from the potentially damaging effects of the sun. And what many people do not know is this – sunglasses are far from a new or modern convenience. In fact, sun eye protection dates back thousands of years – as many as two thousand years, to be more exact – and has remained popular in the all the years that have transpired since.
In terms of sunglasses as a fashion accessory or even a fashion statement in and of themselves, designer sunglasses have become far more popular than could ever have been anticipated in years past. Big name designers such as Burberry, Chanel, and Ralph Lauren (among others) all sell sunglasses produced through the manufacturer Luxottica – who also produce not only Ray Bans but Oakley glasses as well. In fact, this manufacturer – Luxottica – has been found to produce as much as seventy five percent, three whole fourths (nearly all, and certainly more than half) of all of the sunglasses that are sold in the United States and of the designer sunglasses produced and then sold on the global market.
The impact of sunglasses is not only related to fashion, however. In fact, sunglasses have a number of benefits on your health – namely in the protection that they can provide your eyes. If you plan on spending a good deal of time outside this summer – whether you work outside, play outside, or simply like to sit outside and enjoy the nice weather, it is important that you have the necessary eye protection on hand. While many people now realize the huge importance of wearing sunscreen with a high SPF content when they go outside, particularly if they spend extended periods outside, too few people understand the importance of protecting their eyes alongside their skin. Fortunately, from wrap around polarized sunglasses to unbreakable sport sunglasses, sunglasses that provide a good deal of eye protection are certainly not difficult to find. In fact, even sunglasses designed for primarily cosmetic purposes must block out at least seventy percent of all UVB rays, if not more than that. General purpose sunglasses – by and large the most common type of these glasses purchased – is required to block out as much as ninety five percent of UVB rays, nearly all of them in total. And special purpose sunglasses are by and large the best, blocking as many as ninety nine percent of all UVB rays in order to be considered and classed as special purpose.
And for the many people in the United States and around the world who have eye problems and wear prescription glasses, sun protection can seem difficult to come by at times. Fortunately, however, prescription sun protection glasses are available and though they are a little more expensive than traditional sunglasses, many decide that they are more than worth the expense for the ability to shade their eyes but still maintain their clarity as well as their quality of vision at the same time. In fact, with vision problems of varying natures and severities hugely common in the United States, as many as seventy five percent – or three fourths – of all adults in this country wear prescription glasses and sunglasses instead of regular ones, making them hugely common and popular the country over.
Much as we protect our skin, we must also protect our eyes during hot summer days. Prescription or non, sunglasses are a key way to do this.