Cheap sunglasses might not protect as much as you think
SANTA MARIA, Calif. - Whether you're out enjoying a day at the park, by the pool or if you just work outside, eye doctors are reminding people to protect their eyes this summer but not just with any pair of sunglasses.
"The biggest problem with inexpensive sunglasses is that because they cut the light to your eye, your pupil actually dilates behind the lens and so inexpensive, non-protective sunglasses are actually worse for you than not wearing any sunglasses at all," explains optometrist Dr. Michael Young.
That's no surprise to some sunglass wearers we spoke to, who say they made sure their sunglasses were more than just a fashion statement.
"I like the UV protected ones. The sun hurts my eyes a lot, I get migraines from being in the sun, so the UV protected ones help from that too," says sunglass wearer Jessi Van Der Laan.
"I will never buy a pair that's not polarized. I look for the darkness of the lens and I look for comfort and fit on my face," says sunglass wearer Dean Smith.
In order to get proper sun protection from your shades - you don't have to break the bank.
"UV protection can be made even in a lens that's not very expensive, it's really expensive that you pick a lens that has UV protection and proper optics as well," Dr. Young tells us. One of the reasons why it's important to shield your eyes from the sun is actually skin cancer, something optometrist Dr. Ken Kendall sees a lot at the Shepard Eye Center."
The tender skin around the eyes is very susceptible to skin cancer - many types of skin cancer - some very serious. We think of sunglasses protecting the eye itself but actually sunglasses are great protection for that tender skin," explains Dr. Kendall. So before you enjoy some fun in the sun, make sure you've got some protection."As a girl I really like sunglasses that are cute but it's really helpful that they're functional," says sunglass wearer Rachel Blackburn."Anything that's polarized and fits your face is good to go," says Smith.
