Category: Lenses and Frames

As your eyes age, conditions like age-related farsightedness or presbyopia may start to affect your vision. If you already suffer from an eye-related condition or disease, finding eyewear to remedy multiple vision deficiencies can be a hassle. Progressive and bifocal lenses are great for individuals with several vision problems. Additionally, they provide you with a transition from near to far distance vision within one lens!

Bifocal vs Progressive Lenses
Clear vision is essential for your lifestyle. The age-related onset of conditions, like presbyopia, causes the primary need for progressive or bifocal lenses.

Both progressive and bifocal lenses are used to combat the effects of presbyopia and provide comfortable vision for individuals with multiple prescriptions. For that reason, it is important to review your lifestyle to determine the best option for you.

Progressive lenses seamlessly transition between near and far prescriptions within the lens. Whereas, a distinct line separates near and far vision in bifocal lenses.
Consider your lifestyle, the demands of your job, and your personal preference when choosing which type of lens is the best fit.

Bifocal Lenses
• Two distinct powers in the lens, one for near vision and one for distance
• Has a distinct line separating the powers
• Put user at greater risk for computer vision syndrome
• Provide wider lens areas for reading and computer work

Progressive Lenses
• Seamless progression between all distances of vision
• No distinction between different powers within the lens
• Most popular lens for anyone with presbyopia who wears eyeglasses
• Expanded intermediate zone for better computer vision
• Above all, they are adaptable to your lifestyle
We understand the need for comfortable eyewear adequate for your lifestyle. Due to the popularity of progressive lenses in the past decade, technology advancements have allowed wearers to see their best without adjusting their lifestyle.

If you would like to view a short video on progressive lenses you can visit our additional resource page: /lenses-frames/progressive-lenses/

Progressive lenses provide wider zones of clear vision to make activities like computer use and reading easier for the wearer. Early progressive lens designs had a soft blur during movement. However, today’s progressive lenses have reduced this blur to provide better vision for active wearers. Improved technology allows the labs to condense the size of lenses to fit the range of power changes. Consequently allowing those who desire a smaller frame to benefit from the advantages of progressive lenses. Progressive and bifocal lenses could be the solution you have been searching for, contact our office today!

Have you ever gone to pick out new eyeglasses, but been overwhelmed by all your options? Do you ever struggle to know what eyewear shape looks best on you? Do you have a hard time choosing eyewear? We’ve compiled our best tips for picking the perfect pair of eyewear to help make your decisions easier.

1.Contrast your face shape
There are seven basic face shapes to review including oval, base-up or base-down triangle, oblong, square, diamond, and round. Eyewear should contrast your face shape but be in scale with your face size. Find your face shape below and try out our recommended shape frames
• Oval: wide or walnut-shaped frames
• Base-up triangle: frames with a wider bottom, light color or lightweight
• Oblong: frames with more depth than width
• Square: narrow frames and with more width than depth
• Diamond: cat-eye shaped frames or other detailing on the brow line
• Round: narrow frames which are wider and have a clear bridge
• Base-down triangle: frames with color or detailing on the top half

2. Highlight your features
Pick your best or favorite feature and pick a frame to highlight it.
• Some features to consider highlighting would be your eyes, hair, skin color, and face shape. For example, if you have blue eyes, try a blue frame to match and highlight your eye color.

3. Match or complement colors
Your skin, eyes, and hair work together to create your overall coloring. Everyone has either a cool (blue or pink undertones) or a warm (yellow or orange undertones) overall color. Try a frame from our color list below to complement your coloring.
• Warm coloring: camel, khaki, gold, copper, peach, orange, coral, red, or warm blue
• Cool coloring: black, silver, rose-brown, blue-gray, plum, magenta, pink, blue, or tortoise

4. Find the perfect size
Try on multiple pairs to see what size fits your face shape best.
• If the frames are too small your peripheral vision will be limited and could potentially feel tight on the head. The frames should not pinch your nose, leave red marks, slide down your nose, or easily slip off your head. The tightness around your ears can be adjusted to get the perfect fit.

5. Match your frames to your lifestyle
Make sure your frames will work for every part of your life and will be a representation of you and your personality.
• Pick frames to match your unique lifestyle and hobbies. Consider your common activities when choosing frames. For example, if you are more active you may want a pair of sports eyewear or a wraparound band. If you spend a lot of time on the computer, you may want eyeglasses with a tinted lens.

6. Anti-reflective coating
An anti-reflective coating helps eliminate reflections on both sides of your lenses to cut down annoying glare and improve night vision.
• Anti-reflective coatings allow for sharper, clearer vision with less glare. The lenses appear to be nearly invisible, giving the eyeglasses a more attractive appearance and allowing for better eye contact.

7. Are weight and material important to you?
Frames are most commonly made of plastic, metal, or a combination of materials. This combination determines the longevity, weight, and average cost of a frame.
Key Features:
• Metal frames often have adjustable nose pads
• Metal frames can come in hypoallergenic materials
• Stainless steel and titanium are long lasting
• Plastic frames are lighter
• Plastic frames tend to be less expensive
• Flexible hinges allow the “arms” to bend more than regular hinges
• Plastic frames typically need less maintenance than metal frames

At Advanced Eyecare Professionals we have specially trained opticians that are happy to speak with you about the many different types of eyewear and lens options available. They can also help explain what your insurance benefits are in regards to eyewear. No appointment is necessary to speak with one of our opticians, so please feel free to stop by one of our locations.

Most people think of sunglasses as summer gear, but in some ways it’s even more important to wear sunglasses in certain winter conditions than in the warm summer months.

Thanks to public awareness campaigns about the risks of skin cancer, more people are aware that UV rays and intense sunlight are bad for our skin. Sunblock, clothing, and shade are regularly used to protect us. Do you know that UV rays are damaging to our eyes, too?

Prolonged UV exposure raises risks for:
• Cataracts
• Macular Degeneration
• Pingueculae
• Pterygia
• Photokeratitis

In the warmer months, we think about protection from the sun because we expose so much skin and can experience sunburns when we’re not covered. In the winter, however, people are colder, and bundled up, so they don’t think of the sun as a risk. This is a problem because snow can reflect 80% of UV rays! That means you’re experiencing normal sunlight from being outside, and harsh glares from white surfaces.

The fatiguing effects of winter glares become apparent usually when doing outdoor activities like skiing, snowboarding, or sledding, but driving in bright wintry conditions can also be damaging and dangerous. It’s important to be protected year-round!

When looking for appropriate winter sunwear, remember:

• Good sunglasses offer UV protection, so always be sure to check that they block 100% UVA/UVB rays.
• Larger glasses are in style, which is great because the bigger lens protects more of your eyes and the skin around your eyes from UV damage. Look for a large lens and wraparound style.
• Don’t worry about the color or darkness of the lens. Those things can vary while still providing adequate UV protection. Check the label for that information, or speak to an optician.
• Remember, polarization is for more than fishermen! Especially in the winter months when ice and snow can cause harsh glares, polarization can be a big help.
• Specialty eyewear exists for all of your favorite winter sports. Be sure your eyes are protected from the sun and safe during sports.

Talk to us if you have any questions about your UV exposure or any specialty eyewear you need to live your active winter lifestyle!