A MEMBER EVENTS & SEMINARS COLLEGES & TRAINING APAA AWARDS ACCREDITED SALONS HEALTH & BEAUTY FACTS IMPORTANT LINKS
As skincare professionals, we are constantly advising our clients to protect the skin from ultra violet radiation damage full spectrum sunblock daily, wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. Yet how much do you know about sunglass choice what protection do they actually provide?
The primary purpose of sunglasses is to protect the eyes and the delicate skin around the eyes from the damage of ultra violet rays. Being a fashion statement is a very distant second function yet how many of our clients (and ourselves) seem to get this the wrong way around? Surely they need to look good — but not at the detriment of protecting the eyes from damage, which is much more important.
EYES AND SUN DAMAGE
Sun damage includes disorders such as corneal, lenticular and retinal damage, leading to pterygium (overgrowth of tissue on the eye), cataracts, cancer of the eyelid, photo keratitis (sunburn of the cornea) and corneal degeneration. UVC is filtered by the ozone layer (such as it is nowadays),
UVB is absorbed by the cornea, causing burns, snow blindness and dry eyes, while UVA causes damage to the lens and retina. Remember that UVA passes right through clouds, glass, water and clothing. If there is any light, then UV is part of it and will react with your eyes and skin.
CHOICE OF SUNGLASSES
Sunglasses should eliminate glare and reduce UV transmission, thereby reducing lines and wrinkles. They allow clearer vision and contrast, reducing eye fatigue, while protecting from wind, dust and water. The best type of sunglasses would be a prescriptive, distortion-free, scratch-resistant, dark plastic lens that is fitted in a frame to our particular face shape. The close-fitting wraparound is ideal, yet not to everyone’s taste. The style you choose must rest comfortably on the nose and not pinch around the ears.
They should not be tinted so dark that they interfere with visual perception in order to eliminate bright light. Impact-resistant and distortion-free are also important factors to consider when selecting a good pair of sunglasses. (To check if the lens are distortion-free, hold the glasses in front of you, level with your eyes, and fix on to a straight line in the distance. Slowly move the glasses up and down. The straight line will remain straight, if it begins to ’wobble’, the lens are distorted.)
Keep in mind that price is not the indicator of good quality. Many sunglasses at the discount stores are as good, in some cases better, than the higher-priced designer-labelled pairs although I would suggest that anything less than ten dollars may not be the best choice either.
GLASS OR PLASTIC
Did you know that by having the glasses six millimetres from your forehead you increase the UV exposure tenfold to that area? This is true! Prescription glasses can easily be made into sunglasses or another pair made in the form of sunglasses, even multi-focal if need be. Glass or plastic lens is a choice for you to make, as both are good. Glass tends to be scratch resistant, yet easier to break. Plastic less scratch resistant, although harder to break (the frame is another matter).
Polycarbonate and a substance called CR-39 resin are the main plastics used and can be treated the same way as regular glasses. They can be colour tinted, made to reduce glare and be given photochromic and polarising treatment so the choice of all this is personal.
Most lenses now have a polariser film over them to reduce glare, although some may use a nicol prism to deflect rays. (This is where two sheets of Icelandic spar are fused, which is a crystallised form of calcium carbonate. I bet you are glad you know that now!)
FRAMING FOR YOUR FUTURE EYESIGHT
Frames are important, not only for looks, but more importantly for protection. These generally are the part that cost a lot more than the filter material, particularly if they have a designer name on them. Facial features are the deciding factor to ensure the best fit. Here is an easy guide to proper frame fit:
Here is an easy guide to proper frame fit:
There are special sunglasses made for water sports, snow glare and driving, which is not a marketing trick to get you to buy more sunglasses. They actually are made with specific conditions in mind (Category 4 as below). Remember that sunlight reflects off a smooth surface such as snow, ice, glass and water to name a few.
AUSTRALIAN STANDARD, AS 1067
The Standards that regulate sunglasses have been revised after much consultation with representatives of 16 organisations making recommendations. They also incorporate a reduction in minimal allowable diameter of the lens from 30mm to 28mm.
AS 1067: Sunglasses and fashion spectacles require manufacturers to substantiate claims about UV protection that they make. This is incorporated into a new category 5 rating system for lens.
0 Fashion spectacles providing some protection from UV radiation, yet no reduction in sun glare.
1 Fashion spectacles providing some protection from UV radiation and limited reduction in sun glare - NOT SUITABLE FOR DRIVING AT NIGHT.
2 Sunglasses for general use: providing good protection from UV radiation and sun glare.
3 Sunglasses providing extra protection from UV radiation and sun glare.
4 Sunglasses providing high level of protection from UV radiation and sun glare. MUST NOT BE USED WHEN DRIVING AT NIGHT.
Sunglasses designed for professional use (category 4 lens) are designed to absorb large quantities of light and will carry the wording: MUST NOT BE USED WHEN DRIVING.
Australia developed the world’s first national standards for sunglasses in 1971. The new, present standards have been revised to incorporate the European standard EN 1836 Personal Eye Protection. AS 1067 is a mandatory standard under the Trade Practices Act 1974
. A BIT OF HISTORY
Sun protection for the eyes has been recorded well before sunglasses as we know them existed. The Tibetans wove horsehair into a visor to protect against snow glare. Eskimos carved their fashionable eye furniture from wood with a fine slit carved through them to give wrap around protection, styled with walrus-hide bands to keep them on. In ancient China, it is recorded that judges wore shades to cover their eyes so defendants could not see what the judge was thinking.
It is believed that the first tinted glasses were designed in 1752 by Mr James Ayscough and soon after in the 1780s, Benjamin Franklin developed the bifocal glass. Tinted glass was commercially produced in Philadelphia in 1885 and soon after green and azure coloured glasses were prescribed for tired and ailing eyes. From these came safety goggles worn by steelworkers and polar explorers.
Sunglasses as we know them really began in 1920, when the USA Army Air Corps began studying means of increasing safety from high- altitude glare for its fliers. After much testing a soft green colour was determined to be the best colour tint for the most glare protection. 1929 and Mr S. Foster opened a shop that sold these new fashion glasses in Atlantic City. In the 1940s the USA Air Force produced a neutral grey tinted lens and this become commercially available in 1950 and the face furniture race was on. Sunglasses were all about fashion, not so much about protection the ’Dame Edna’ look was very 50s elaborate ornamentation was the go. The ’Beat generation’ went the opposite way and made the thick black lens and frame the way to go- the ’blind jazz musicians’ look.
The 1960s had both ends of the spectrum going on oversized and over coloured at one end and the ’granny’ look with mood lens at the other. The ‘70s and ‘80s gave rise to the wraparound look and then the designers got into the act - the first being Porsche Carreras and Dunhill, which were serious stuff, made from ’space age’ materials. The label became more important that the protection.
1990s sun protection become the important criteria and the explosion of mass-made sunglasses for everyone. From the designer $1000 plus price to the flea market stall $5 price range.
Early 2000s saw the price continue to fall while quality rose — the cheaper sunglasses had the same protection rating as did the expensive ones. The choice again became the look, although the price had little bearing on the protective rating of the glasses themselves.
SUNGLASS CARE
Don’t leave them in direct sunlight (other than when you are wearing them). They can warp from the heat, particularly if the heat is magnified via glass-like on the car dashboard. You may consider it a fashion look, but do not push the sunglasses on top of the head as the oil from the hair, (not to mention gel, hairspray and such) will transfer to the lens and frame. This will then allow dust and pollution to stick, increasing the chances of scratching the lens. Always clean your glasses with a soft cloth and a little mild liquid cleanser your facial cleanser may do well. Rinse and dry.
The need for eye protection is increasing as more UV rays are reaching us due to the ever-increasing ozone gaps. As much as you are protecting your skin from the ravages of the sun, so must you protect your eyes. For both yourself and your clients, start thinking about how sunlight affects the eyes and what you can do about it. As an added retail opportunity, why not introduce a good range of sunglasses into your retail mix? Just another way in providing care for your clients.
Although your skin can repair itself after sun damage, your eyes can not. What really is more important — fashion or your eyesight?
This information could win a trivia contest:
Your eyes produce 5 mls of tears a day; that is over 9 litres in 5 years.
You blink approximately 12 times a minute, which is some 10,080 blinks a day (awake for 14 hours) and 18.4 millions blinks in 5 years.
Will your eyes be in good condition to continue doing what they need to do?
Terry Everitt has been appointed by the Heber Davis Skin Academy as Director of Education to oversee the curriculum at HDSA and the establishtment of HDSA nationally in the later half of 2004. As a CIDESCO Diplomate, International examiner, lecturer and skincare specialist he is primarily known for his work in clinical aesthetic; but is also well versed in spa and business management. Terry was honoured last year winner of the 2003 APAA National Award of Excellence for 5ervices to the lndustry In recognition his contribution for the raising of educational standards within the Australian Aesthetic Industry
© APAA 2004