Sunglasses are just as necessary during the winter as they are for the summer. Yes you heard right! Winter requires you to wear your sunglasses too! Why do we want to protect our eyes from the sun? Cataracts, cornea sunburns, and macular degeneration are all risks if your eyes aren’t protected from the harsh glare of the sun. Exposure to the sun can increase the risk of vision problems by causing dry eyes, snow blindness, or snow glare. It is known that a lot of skiers and snowboarders are prone to these underlying conditions.
Ultraviolet rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths shorter than visible light (the spectrum we can see), but longer than X rays. The sun emits these UV rays that hit our eyes and skin on most days. Most of the time sun protection is used during the summer, but not as much during the winter. Studies have found that vision damage among skiers and snowboarders are prevalent due to the lack of protection. As mentioned, the most common conditions found include cataracts, macular degeneration, and snow blindness.
Cataracts is when the lenses in your eyes become cloudy, which can lead to blindness. It is the result of changes in the lens tissues commonly caused by aging or injury from UV rays.
Macular degeneration is the most prevalent cause of vision loss as it affects 10 million Americans. Macular degeneration is the loss of your central vision due to damage on the macula. The macula is the part of the retina that focuses central vision. Damage is usually caused by blue light emitted from our digital devices and blue light rays from the sun.
Snow blindness is a form of photokeratitis, or damage when eyes are exposed to harmful UV rays. Naturally snow is white and on bright sunny days the glare shown on the snow can be dangerous. Snow blindness is essentially sunburn on your eyes and it occurs when looking at the snow without proper protection during the winter.
Scary! But great news! There are numerous options of sunglasses to help! Whatever your needs, there is a pair of sunglasses just for you. For these underlying conditions it is highly recommended by doctors to have polarized sunglasses. Polarized sunglass lenses reduce glare by containing a laminated filter that allows only vertical oriented light to pass through. This blocks the horizontally oriented light so that glare is almost eliminated. The most common colors of polarized lenses include gray and brown. Gray polarized lenses help to neutralize color which reduces the strain your eyes might feel with bright sunlight, whereas brown enhances contrast and provides good depth perception. Great for all you fishermen out there!
At Lux Eyewear, we have polarized sunglasses that can filter out glare when you’re at the snow. Not only that, but polarized sunglasses are important when participating in water activities, driving or athletic events. Doctors especially recommend with everyday task of driving because statistically 1 in 3 car accidents is caused by glare, polarized lenses reduce this risk 100%. What brands of sunglasses have these special lenses you ask? Well, at Lux we highly recommend Vuarnet.
Yes you heard right! Vuarnet is back in the United States! For those who don’t know, Vuarnet is an eyewear brand based in France. After alpine ski racer Jean Vuarnet won the gold medal in the Downhill at the 1960 Winter Olympics in 1961 the sunglass brand under his last name was established. Jean joined forces with French artisan lens-makers to create an exceptional line of sunglasses made with bi-gradient mineral glass lenses that provide the best clarity and eye protection. The bi-gradient mirror aspect of the lens helps with protection from the sun’s UV rays coming down from above, as will as bouncing off from the snow below.
Specifically, the Skilynx lenses have a bi-gradient silver mirror and back side anti-glare to help with UV rays coming in from behind. It’s also made with the mineral glass lens material that offers the clearest vision and significantly improves depth perception. This lens also increases contrast in low visibility conditions that we experience during the foggy and cloudy days of winter. Most importantly it protects from blinding glares from the UV rays of the sun. Vuarnet also has Polarlynx lenses which includes all of the above as well as the polarization monomers within the lens that help eliminate glare even more by blocking the horizontal oriented light as mentioned before.
Vuarnet sunglasses are made specifically for the slopes, but their unique design of using mineral glass for the lenses is a perfect choice for protection for any setting including the ocean and even night time driving! Beginning in 2015, we are able to find Vuarnet back in the United States which is now exclusively sold in New York and Los Angeles and a select luxury optical boutiques like Lux Eyewear! Fun fact: Vuarnet has also been popular in US cinema!
Here is Daniel Craig wearing the Vuarnet VL1316 Glacier sunglasses in James Bond Spectre
“The Dude” or Jeff Bridges in seen wearing the Vuarnet VL1103 in The Big Lebowski
Lastly here is Jake Gyllenhaal wearing the Vuarnet 1315 Glacier in his movie Everest
Come to Lux Eyewear and talk to one of our Opticians for the perfect pair of sunglasses for your individual needs which would not only help protect your eyes, but have you looking your best. Not just during the summer, but during the winter as well!