Eyeglasses have come a long way over the years. As the general population continues to age, more and more people are wearing glasses. Eyeglasses themselves have become fashion accessories. The variety of lenses on the market, meanwhile, has made consumer awareness more important.
Eyeglasses Materials:
- Glass is more durable and resistant to scratches, but less impact resistant.
- Plastic lenses are thinner and lighter, more impact resistant, but scratch more easily.
- Polycarbonate is like plastic, but even more impact resistant.
Types of Eyeglasses:
- Unifocal
- Bifocal
- Invisible bifocals
- Progressive lenses
- Trifocal or multifocal
- High index (thinner lenses for strong prescriptions)
- Photochromatic or light sensitive
- Safety lenses
- Tinted lenses can be functional, fashionable, or both.
- Sunglasses soften indoor or outdoor light. Lens tints can be uniform or gradient, lightening gradually from top to bottom.
Chemical coatings serve many purposes: anti-scratch coating minimizes lens abrasions; anti-reflective coating eliminates frustrating reflective glare; metallic or mirrored coating is popular with sunglasses; and UV coating blocks solar ultraviolet radiation.