All around us there is a growing health movement. The topics at the forefront of our consciousnesses have ranged from genetically modified ingredients to the dangers of excessive sitting. Yet one topic that doesn’t come up enough for us, is the subject of protecting your eyesight. 

Every day, you may encounter forces which can potentially damage your eyes. However, being mindful of these dangers and protecting your vision can mean the difference between early eyesight degradation and preserving reasonably good eyesight into your later years. So, let’s cover a few common things that can damage your eyesight. 

When it comes to buying glasses, you have a lot of options. Not just in terms of colors, shapes, materials and lenses, but there are several places you can choose to buy your eyewear. As you might imagine, we have some thoughts on that subject. With so many choices and factors that go into this decision we wanted to share our perspective on why an eyewear boutique should be at the top of your list.

Ultraviolet (UV) light might instinctively make you think of tanning beds or detective work, but what about UV’s close counterpart on the light spectrum, blue light? Does UV light really do much besides help you get a bronzed glow on vacation? It does!

Ultraviolet light has a couple sub-types; UV-A and UB-B. Both forms of UV light are invisible to humans, but oddly fall within the visible range for some animals. Both birds and bees can see UV light, which helps them detect reflections from plants.

Screens are an integral part of our day, from checking your notifications and schedule first thing in the morning, to working on that brilliant spreadsheet or presentation in the afternoon, to relaxing to your favorite shows on Netflix at night. All throughout the day, of course, you are also checking in on your various social media sites and keeping up with the news.

Beyond the information overload and the regular bursts of serotonin we periodically receive throughout the day in forms of likes, favorites and messages, what other effects does all our screen time have on our eyes?

It turns out: quite a lot.

Numerous articles have been written in the New York Times about the art of gift giving. Gift giving is difficult, because not everyone has the same taste or wants. What if you give a present that doesn’t fit? What if they already have one?  We may consider a poorly chosen gift a declaration that the gifter doesn’t understand us or our actual wants.

It has therefore become en vogue to give a gift card, and to just allow the recipient choose what they want. But think about it: If you give a gift card to a store, you are putting the work on them to figure out how to spend the money on something they’d like. And an Amazon gift card is basically just saying that you want to give them cash they can spend on whatever they normally purchase on Amazon. So you are putting a value on the relationship. 

A 10/10 gift card is different. You are gifting a series of experiences. As a patient and customer of 10/10 Optics, you know the process of picking a pair of glasses here. You sit down. You are helped. You are shown options that fit your color story and your face. You walk out with a smile on your face, without the stress of deciding from a million imperfect options.

That’s what you give to someone when you give a 10/10 Optics gift card. You are giving them an experience without stress. You are gifting them the many many compliments they will receive while wearing their new eyewear.

The best part of giving them a gift card to 10/10 Optics is that every time you see them wearing the glasses at a party, on Instagram or Facebook, you get to comment “great glasses! 😉” (at least until it gets old). But you get to see them enjoying your gift. And that is a testament to your fabulous taste. Because at the end of the day, don’t listen to anyone else, giving a gift is all about you.

Everyone should be able to enjoy a bright sunny day. The great outdoors in all its sunlit splendor is an instant mood-booster. The sun provides you with an extra kick of vitamin D for the day, and spending time outside can even be good for your mental and physical health. But along with time in the sun, comes an accessory that can be problematic for some: sunglasses.

Anyone who wears prescription lenses or contacts has probably found themselves wondering if prescription sunglasses are worth it. Especially during those infuriating commutes when you’re driving towards a setting sun and completely blinded by it. So if you’re wondering how to enjoy your time in the sun, or at least make your drive home safer, here are a few options to consider. 

If you have perfect vision, congratulations! You, my friend, are in the minority. As it stands, more than 61% of the US population wears glasses, contacts, or both to correct their vision.

However, some of these individuals are hesitant to wear their corrective eyewear out of the fear that glasses will “make their eyes weaker”, or make them more dependent on their lenses than they already are. 

We’re here to let you know that there’s no reason to be afraid! Glasses won’t make your vision worse. To understand why this isn’t true, we’ll lay out some important information that every glasses wearer should know. 

Audrey Hepburn. Marilyn Monroe. Katy Perry. Scarlet Johannsen. What do all of the women have in common, aside from being gorgeous and famous of course?

They all knew how to rock cat eye glasses frames.

We watch the celebrity magazines and the red carpet events and see these beautiful faces wearing cat eye shaped glasses and sunglass and wonder…

Can I get that look? Would a cat eye frame look good on me?

We can do just about anything from the comfort of home these days. Want food delivered? Grubhub. Endless hours of entertainment? Netflix. Clothes, gifts and groceries? Amazon.

We live in a time of epic convenience. So shouldn’t that convenience extend to cover buying new glasses and contacts?

Ok, we love things that are convenient too. But eyewear is where we draw the line.  Sure virtual “try-on” tools are fun to play with and it’s tempting to think that you can pick a pair of frames without leaving your couch. But trust us, when it comes to an essential item that will be a part of your daily look, nothing measures up to an in-person appointment.

How many times have you watched someone take off their glasses, breathe on them to create some type of moisture and then wipe them on a shirt or pants? Probably so frequently that this actually seems like the normal method of cleaning glasses.  Chances are you’ve done it too! No judgment.

Sure it’s easy and fast and whatever giant smudge was obscuring your vision is gone so it seems effective. But is it really? While cleaning glasses this way may seem like a widely accepted short term solution, it has the potential to do more long term damage to your lenses than you might think.

So how should you be cleaning your eyeglasses to ensure you can see as clearly as possible as long as possible?

You found a beautiful pair of frames that compliment your face. You love them.  But you don’t love when they create discomfort. Sometimes our favorite glasses can cause nose pain, nose marks, eye strain, and can even cause pain behind your ears. The first step to avoiding these eyewear annoyances is having glasses that fit correctly. That’s why it’s so important to work with a professional who can fit them properly to your face.  Incorrect fit it usually the biggest reason why your glasses can cause discomfort.

But even when your glasses fit as well as possible, minor issues can arise. Here are some tips to help deal with these common sources of discomfort.

Shopping for new glasses can be fun and exciting. But standing in front of a wall of hundreds of pairs of glasses trying to find the right one can become overwhelming. You’ll be wearing these glasses every day, the frames you choose will become an essential part of your daily look.

This is a big decision!

With so many styles, shapes, materials and color possibilities how do you choose the one that will best accentuate your personal style?

Eyewear stylists have the expertise to help guide you toward a pair of glasses that you’ll love. But if you’re on your own, here are some things to keep in mind when trying to narrow down your choices.