Who Should Wear Sunglasses?

Ultimately, everyone should care about their vision and want to protect it. However, there are certain groups of individuals that should especially wear sunglasses. This is for their safety, and the safety of others.

Drivers are one very important group that should always have sunglasses handy. Whether you are driving your own vehicle or a bus full of people, the sun can be your enemy. Picture driving westbound down the highway at 6:00 PM, coming up over a hill and being pelted in the face with the sun's glaring rays. This temporary blinding could cause you not to see the traffic that stopped 50 feet in front of you. Accidents like this can be avoided by always having sunglasses in your vehicle.

Professional drivers have an even greater need for sunglasses than the rest of us. Because they are often driving larger vehicles such as school busses or tanker trucks, their risk is much greater. If these drivers lose control of their vehicle, it is much more difficult to gain control. Again, simply by wearing sunglasses, these drivers can help avoid tragedy.

It is very important that children be taught from an early age to wear sunglasses. By enforcing this from early childhood, you are creating habits they will carry with them. In addition to teaching them that sunglasses are always important, you are protecting very delicate eyes as well. Children, especially the very young, are constantly growing and developing in every way. Protecting their eyes with sunglasses from the start will reduce the damage they will pay for later in life.

Even babies can wear sunglasses. Besides being ridiculously cute, baby sunglasses are made for a reason. Babies are, for all intents and purposes brand new, and so are their eyes. A child begins their life by being able to focus on objects only less than ten inches from their face. A pair of baby sunglasses will keep harmful rays out of your baby's young, sensitive eyes.

Anyone who spends an uncommonly large amount of time in the sun should know the advantages of sunglasses. If you are particularly interested in water sports and spend a lot of time at the beach or on a lake, you could be at greater risk than most. Surfers, water-skiers and wake boarders can testify that a good pair of protective sunglasses will save a lifetime of hardship. The sun reflecting off of the water into your eyes can intensify the damage it could do.
Find a good pair of water sunglasses, which will wrap around your head and stay in place while you ride the waves.

Elderly individuals are another group of people to whom eye protection should be important. As age progresses, the eyesight deteriorates in even the healthiest of eyes. Older individuals should always wear sunglasses when outside in the sun. Sunglasses won't stop the vision from going south, but it may slow the process. One thing is certain, blinding sun in the eyes will speed it up the deterioration.

In case you haven't figured it out yet, ideally everyone should wear sunglasses. There are so many different designs, styles and prices that it is difficult to come up with an excuse for not wearing them. There is simply no benefit to letting your eyes absorb the harmful UVA and UVB rays the sun emits. Be smart and care about your eyes by protecting them with sunglasses whenever you're outside. You'll be glad you did.

Where to Find Good Sunglasses

Where can you find a pair of sunglasses to fit your eyewear needs? Sunglasses are absolutely everywhere! It is hard to walk into a retail store and not see a display of sunglasses. In fact, listing off the places that don't sell them might be faster. Hardware stores, emergency rooms and most car dealerships do not sell sunglasses. Now to move on to the establishments that do.

Logically, one of the best places to buy sunglasses would be a retailer specifying in them. Any mall or outlet strip center is bound to have at least one store targeting eyewear. These stores will offer a wide variety of frames, lenses, sizes and styles to suit your needs. Sunglasses at these stores can be pricey, anywhere from twenty-five to three hundred dollars. However, you often get what you pay for.

Specialized sunglass retailers will know a lot about their product and help pick out the right ones for you. Many of their glasses will offer higher percentage of UVA and UVB protection than less expensive brands. If you don't mind paying the extra money, these sunglasses will be a purchase that will last. In addition, most of these retailers include a case, cleaning cloth and other accessories along with your purchase.

Upscale designers such as Armani and Christian Dior cater to the truly fortunate crowd. Their sunglasses can be seen in fashion magazines and on red carpets all over the globe. If it's high fashion you seek, these designers and many others are truly the way to go. Most of their products can be found in department stores. However, in more upscale neighborhoods, designers may have their own storefront.

If you're not a movie star or hotel heiress, you may want to take a more low-key approach when shopping for sunglasses. Many malls have kiosks that sell designer-looking styles at a much more realistic price. There is really no shame in wearing knock-offs, even if your friends tease you for it. You can casually remind them that your sunglasses look exactly like theirs. Then let them know that, unlike them, you'll be making your car payment this month.

If you are a normal human being, you probably have a tendency to lose things. That is where the truly inexpensive sunglasses come in handy. These less expensive shades can be found at any retail chain superstore. You can also find them at your local grocery store or pharmacy. Less expensive shades may not offer the same great protection as the expensive ones, but they will usually help to filter out the UVA and UVB rays.

When shopping for sunglasses, no matter where you look, there is one important thing to remember. Choose sunglasses that fit. They should fit your face, your style, and your budget. Before you spend a week's paycheck on a pair of sunglasses, you might want to consider their use. If it is a trendy style that is bound to go out in five minutes, head to the kiosk for some knock-offs. If you are planning to wear them somewhere they'll be easily lost, like the lake or camping, opt for the much less expensive. The last thing you want to be doing is playing diving-for-sunglasses while everyone is having fun.

If you do drop some serious cash on a pair of sunglasses, learn to take care of them. Carry a case for them to be in when not being worn. Clean them only with a specialized lens cloth. Finally, keep up with them! Sunglasses do no good if you can't find them.

When NOT to Wear Sunglasses

As with virtually anything else in life, there is a time an place for sunglasses. Most would agree that the benefits of protective eyewear are tried and true. Still, there are times and places that your sunglasses are not appropriate. Additionally, there are also times and places that they're just not going to do you any good.

The etiquette of eyewear is not a topic that is often discussed. We would all like to think that everyone would make the right decision in deciding when to take and when to leave behind the sunglasses. Still, there are obviously those that could use a little help on the subject. For those people, and as a reference for the rest of us, compiled here are just a few of the occasions in which sunglasses should be left in the car.

Wearing sunglasses indoors anywhere is almost always not appropriate. If you have a medical condition causing sensitivitety to artificial lights, you may be excused from this rule. To everyone else that insists on wearing shades indoors, you should know something crucial. The rest of us are watching you, waiting for you to walk into a wall or trip over a chair.

Socially, wearing your sunglasses indoors is often just plain rude. When you are trying to carry on a conversation with a person that is wearing sunglasses for no apparent reason, it can be rather distracting. While you may think that you are putting out the mystery-man vibe, you're actually just telling people you are not interested in what they have to say. If you plan to make it a habit of giving off this attitude, expect to receive the same in return.

Unless you are Corey Hart and need to "keep track of all the visions" in your eyes, sunglasses at night seem a little silly. For the same reason you should not wear sunglasses indoors, wearing them at night should be avoided as well. Again, you may think you look cool, but just about everyone else will think you're drunk or trying to cover up a black eye. Whether or not it is socially acceptable, sunglasses at night is just not a good idea.

Consider what a pair of sunglasses is meant to do for you. They are designed to shield your eyes from the violent radiation of the sun and make it more comfortable for you to see. While your efforts of protecting your eyes from the brightness of the street lights, you may be doing more harm than good. Logistically, it can be dangerous to wear dark shades at night, particularly while driving. Why inhibit your vision more than the darkness of the night already does? Find another way to tell people you're cool.

Some situations are acceptable times to wear sunglasses, but still carry rules to be considered. For example, you have been invited to a friend's house for a mid day barbeque. This is a perfectly good time to wear that great pair of sunglasses you got last week. However, if those sunglasses are completely opaque or mirrored on the outside, reconsider for something that shows off your eyes a little.

In a social gathering or setting, people will presumably strike up conversations with others they find interesting. It can be difficult to approach a new person and say hello. When that person is wearing dark, reflecting sunglasses, they may find themselves sitting alone watching everyone else mingle. For this circumstance, consider a shade of lens that protects your eyes and still allows your features to be seen. This will help you seem more approachable and less intimidating.

There are other times that you may want to wear sunglasses and social acceptability does not get in your way. You will not, however, enjoy any of the benefits of sunglass protection, as these high intensity lights are much stronger than the UVA and UVB rays emitted by the sun. Any kind of welding equipment, tanning beds and eclipses all emit high intensity light for which your sunglasses are no match. Special protective eyewear is needed while working with welding equipment and while in tanning beds. Additionally, a pinhole camera is the preferred apparatus for viewing an eclipse.

When deciphering where and when to bring the sunglasses, a little common sense will go a long way.
Protect yourself from high intensity light with specialized eyewear designed for that particular activity.
Know when sunglasses are needed and when they are not. Taking a moment to consider a few factors will save you embarrassment and possibly injury later.