The Best Polarized Lenses for Different Activities

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Do you want sunglasses to protect your eyes for health reasons, or perhaps you just want to make a fashion statement? Either way, your local optician in Portland, OR can help. Here are the specific recommendations for color-polarized lenses based on how they will be used.

Choosing Color-Polarized Lenses Based on Activity

All sunglasses are tinted to protect your eyes from the sun. However, not all of them are polarized. It’s best to opt for polarized sunglasses in Portland, OR because they significantly reduce the glare and halos caused by the sun.

Here are the recommended uses for color-polarized lenses based on activity.

  • Color Polarized Lenses as a Fashion Statement

If you are wearing color polarized lenses as a fashion statement, any color will work.

  • Color Polarized Lenses for Computer Use

For computer use, it’s recommended you choose blue light-blocking glasses. These are particularly helpful for people with migraines.

  • Color Polarized Lenses for Indoor Use

Yellow-tinted lenses are best for indoor use because they help increase the contrast caused by low-light conditions.

  • Color Polarized Lenses for Snow Sports

Yellow-tinted lenses are also recommended when you are participating in snow sports because they help with contrast issues in hazy conditions.

  • Color Polarized Lenses for Outdoor Precision Sports

If you enjoy precision sports like golf, green-tinted polarized lenses are recommended because they reduce glare and filter a portion of the blue light spectrum. This will make it easier to see your golf balls.

  • Color Polarized Lenses for Water Activities

For water activities, amber or brown polarized lenses are recommended. These colors make your surroundings appear brighter and clearer. They also reduce the reflection from the water.

  • Color Polarized Lenses for Driving

When it comes to driving, there are a variety of lens colors that might work for you. Therefore, you will need to try each of them to see which one you prefer. However, most people seem to prefer amber or gray polarized lenses. The grays seem to work better in bright and sunny conditions and the amber color seems to work better on cloudy, rainy, or overcast days.

For night driving, though, most people find the yellow lenses work best in low-light conditions because they help with contrast.

What’s Next?

If you are looking for a reputable optician in Portland, OR, please Contact Asterix Eyewear today. We are Portland’s premier dispensing opticians and we specialize in repairs, sales, and service.

What Is Lens Coating Removal?

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Anti-glare coatings are nice additions to your eyeglasses because they make it easier to see in bright sunlight. But if these coatings become scratched, they become more of a detriment than an advantage, and there are only two ways to resolve the issue. You can replace your lenses, which may be costly and inconvenient. Or, you can have the coating safely removed, which will make your lenses feel like they’re new again. Ask your optician in Portland, OR, about the advantages of lens coating removal.

Do I Need Lens Coating Removal?

There are several signs your eyeglasses could benefit from having an old coating removed:

  • They always seem like they need to be cleaned.
  • Even after cleaning, they still appear dirty.
  • Scratches and imperfections on the lenses constantly distract you.

If you’ve tried repeatedly to clean dirt and debris from your lenses without luck, having the coating removed is probably the best solution.

Is It Difficult to Remove a Lens Coating?

Removing an anti-glare coating is relatively easy, but it should only be performed by professionals. Otherwise, you risk ruining your lenses or frames altogether. And replacing your eyeglasses is usually much more expensive than having a damaged coating taken off.

When you’re ready to fix those scratches that seem permanent, schedule an appointment with your eyeglasses specialist to have old coatings removed. This can usually be done in a single day, meaning you’ll have your glasses back within a convenient timeframe. Your specialist will use chemicals to cause the coating to release from the lens, leaving behind eyeglasses that look and feel new again. Better, once old coatings have been removed, a new coating can be applied to protect your lenses until you’re ready to purchase new eyeglasses.

Call Asterix Eyewear Today

Asterix Eyewear can easily remove old, damaged coatings from your pricey eyeglasses, saving you money in the process. Call us today for lens coating removal in Portland, OR, and schedule an appointment with one of our friendly and knowledgeable professionals. We’ll gladly answer all your questions regarding the lens coating removal process, and we’ll get your glasses back to you quickly and in better condition than they were initially. Call today for more information.

Are UV Ratings Really That Important?

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While you’ve heard of ultraviolet rays and how harmful they can be to your skin, you may not realize how harmful they can be to your eyes. However, if you are in the market for prescription or non-prescription sunglasses in Portland, you will notice they have UV ratings. If you’re not paying attention to these ratings, you are putting your eyes at risk. As to why UV ratings are important, here are some facts about them and the damage UV rays can cause to your eyes.

Your Eyes Can Get Sunburned

Surprisingly to many, your eyes can get a type of sunburn. Known as photokeratitis, this involves short-term exposure to UV rays that occurs when they are reflected off water, sand, snow, or ice. As a result, you’ll experience blurry vision and sensitivity to bright light at least temporarily. If it happens frequently, the condition can lead to long-term damage. This is one reason why you should always choose sunglasses in Portland that have a satisfactory UV rating.

Developing Eye Diseases

If you subject your eyes to prolonged exposure to UV rays, you increase your chances of developing severe eye diseases in the years ahead, with the most likely being cataracts, macular degeneration, and even a form of eye cancer known as ocular melanoma.

UV 400 Ratings

Now that you know the many problems that can result from exposing your eyes to UV rays, it’s crucial that you know how to interpret UV ratings that come with prescription and non-prescription sunglasses. If you want the very best protection against UV rays, you should look for sunglasses at your Portland eyewear shop that have a at least a UV 400 rating. In doing so, this means they block rays of light up to 400 nanometers. In simpler terms, this means your sunglasses will block 99-100 percent of UV rays.

Additional Protection

To give your eyes even more protection, you can take additional steps that can partner with UV protection. These include getting sunglasses with anti-reflective lenses or mirrored coatings, both of which have been shown to keep UV rays away from eyes.

Since your eyesight is so important, do all you can to protect it. By paying closer attention to UV ratings and understanding why they are so important, you’ll be able to enjoy sunshine knowing you’ve got maximum protection for your eyes. Visit your Portland eyewear shop today to learn more.

 

Can I Put New Lenses Into Vintage Eye Glass Frames?

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Do you have a pair of old glasses you simply love? Maybe you found them at an estate sale or in a consignment shop, and you love the way they frame your face. The problem is that you can see through the lenses. Because you need prescription eye glasses, vintage options like these won’t work. You’ll look great, but you’ll be unable to see in the process.

Luckily, in most cases, you can have new prescription lenses ground and shaped to fit old, vintage frames. All that’s required is a visit to your local eye professional.

How Do I Get New Lenses into Vintage Frames?

Ask your vision specialist about the possibility of using vintage frames to house your new prescription lenses. In most instances, it should not be a problem. There are, however, times when the procedure is not possible. Everything depends upon:

  • The condition of the vintage frames
  • Your prescription requirements
  • The curvature, size, and shape of the frames you’d like to use

If you choose frames that are in poor condition, that are too fragile to hold the lenses you need, or simply won’t work with your prescription, your vision professional will have a suitable solution.

What Do I Need to Bring With Me?

Bring the vintage frames you’d like to use to your vision appointment. Your eye doctor will perform an eye exam to determine your prescription. They will then be able to tell you whether the frames you’d like to use are compatible. If not, you’ll have many other frames from which to choose. If you would still like to use vintage frames, your vision specialist will be able to advise you on the correct shape and size of the ones you’ll need to provide.

Contact Asterix Eyewear Today

When you’re ready to put new lenses into vintage frames, contact Asterix Eyewear, in Portland, OR. Our fast and friendly eyewear specialists are professionals at solving eyeglass problems in the Portland area. Whether you need a simple vision checkup or something more, we’re waiting to help. Call today to schedule a consultation.

 

What Are Progressive Lenses?

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As you age, you might be wondering how to handle your eyeglass prescription in order to effectively manage the need for better close-up vision for tasks like reading, with the prescription you already have for eyeglasses or contacts to see further distances for driving or watching movies.

 

Progressive lenses are a solution that go beyond bifocal and trifocal lenses, allowing wearers to avoid swapping out pairs of glasses or the hassle of wearing contact lenses plus hauling reading glasses around for close-in vision. Instead, progressive lenses provide a true multifocal lens experience with a smooth transition from close to medium to far distance vision, all in the same lens. Avoid the experience of tilting your head to see through the different parts of bifocal lenses with progressives, which provide a higher quality, more natural and seamless lens. While bifocals or trifocals often create a visual jump from near to middle to far distances, progressives will cut out the jump. However, it may take some time to get used to progressive lenses, but any blurring or eye adjustment will start to fade after a few days of wear.

 

When you wear progressive lenses, you will simply need to point your nose towards a certain object to ensure it comes into focus. While some slight head movements will be necessary, the result will mean clearer vision and much less hassle as your progressives will incorporate all your vision needs in a single pair of lenses.

 

Progressive lenses are available in a wide array of frames, including modern and stylish designs. Talk to your local optometrist to determine what options might be available to you if you choose to pursue progressive lenses. Contemporary progressives can be manufactured out of plastics like polycarbonate with a variety of options like anti-reflection coatings to avoid glare and photochromic tints for better outdoor vision. You can even explore progressive lenses in sunglasses, including polarized glasses, to ensure you can enjoy the ease and simplicity of progressives indoors, outdoors, and in any lighting.

 

Once you choose the right frames and adjust to the experience of wearing progressives, you’ll never deal with the hassle of scrambling for reading glasses to read a fine-print menu or switching out your glasses to drive or see a faraway TV screen. As you get older, prioritizing eyesight is critical, and progressive lenses are one idea to discuss with your eye care provider. As you age, you might be wondering how to handle your eyeglass prescription in order to effectively manage the need for better close-up vision for tasks like reading, with the prescription you already have for eyeglasses or contacts to see further distances for driving or watching movies.

 

Progressive lenses are a solution that goes beyond bifocal and trifocal lenses, allowing wearers to avoid swapping out pairs of glasses or the hassle of wearing contact lenses plus hauling reading glasses around for close-in vision. Instead, progressive lenses provide a true multifocal lens experience with a smooth transition from close to medium to far distance vision, all in the same lens. Avoid the experience of tilting your head to see through the different parts of bifocal lenses with progressives, which provide a higher quality, more natural, and seamless lens. While bifocals or trifocals often create a visual jump from near to middle to far distances, progressives will cut out the jump. However, it may take some time to get used to progressive lenses, but any blurring or eye adjustment will start to fade after a few days of wear.

 

When you wear progressive lenses, you will simply need to point your nose towards a certain object to ensure it comes into focus. While some slight head movements will be necessary, the result will mean clearer vision and much less hassle as your progressives will incorporate all your vision needs in a single pair of lenses.

 

Progressive lenses are available in a wide array of frames, including modern and stylish designs. Talk to your local optometrist to determine what options might be available to you if you choose to pursue progressive lenses. Contemporary progressives can be manufactured out of plastics like polycarbonate with a variety of options like anti-reflection coatings to avoid glare and photochromic tints for better outdoor vision. You can even explore progressive lenses in sunglasses, including polarized glasses, to ensure you can enjoy the ease and simplicity of progressives indoors, outdoors, and in any lighting.

 

Once you choose the right frames and adjust to the experience of wearing progressives, you’ll never deal with the hassle of scrambling for reading glasses to read a fine-print menu or switching out your glasses to drive or see a faraway TV screen. As you get older, prioritizing eyesight is critical, and progressive lenses are one idea to discuss with your eye care provider.

5 Tips For Preventing Scratched Lenses

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When you first chose your eyeglasses, you probably spent a lot of time choosing the perfect frames to suit your face. You likely made some important decisions about options like bifocals, progressive lenses and other things. Considering all the time and money that you put forth, it only makes sense to take care of your lenses so they last as long as possible. Scratched lenses shorten the usable lifespan of your eyeglasses. They can even ruin eyeglasses altogether. Here are some tips for preventing scratched eyeglass lenses.

1. Use Your Eyeglasses Case

Whenever your eyeglasses are not on your face, make sure you put them straight into your eyeglasses case. This will keep the lenses from getting scratched on tabletops and other surfaces. This simple practice will help to prevent scratches on your eyeglasses.

2. Have Multiple Cases Available

So that you always put your eyeglasses away into a case, have multiple eyeglass cases available. You can keep one in your purse, in the car, at the office, in the bedroom, in the living room, kitchen, etc. This way, you won’t have to go searching for a case before you can lay your eyeglasses down.

3. Handle Eyeglasses by the Temples

Never hold your eyeglasses directly by the lenses. Microscopic particles on your fingertips might actually cause tiny scratches to appear on your eyeglasses. The temples are the corners of your eyeglasses, between the lenses and the arms that go over your ears.

4. Don’t Clean Eyeglasses on Towels

When your eyeglasses need to be wiped, it’s natural to reach for the nearest cloth available. This is one of the leading causes of eyeglass scratches. Don’t clean eyeglasses on towels, clothes or the bottom of your t-shirt. Instead, use only the microfiber cloths that are specially designed to clean eyeglasses. This might seem like overkill, but it will go a long way toward keeping your eyeglasses free from scratches.

5. Never Lay Eyeglasses Face Down

Because of the center of gravity, eyeglasses do tend to fall face forward when you go to lay them down. But you should never lay eyeglasses face down on a surface. This will cause lens scratches like nothing else.

These tips will help you to keep your eyeglasses looking brand new for as long as possible. For help with any of your eyeglass needs, please contact us today.