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Picking Your Perfect Pair of Sunglasses After Laser Vision Correction

Portrait of smiling black girl with sunglasses

Enjoy the Freedom to Express Yourself and Protect Your Eyes Without Paying for a Prescription

Although people have various reasons for getting laser vision correction, one of the most fun benefits of receiving it – aside from not having to rely on glasses – is choosing stylish sunglasses for everyday wear.

Rather than forking over hundreds of dollars for a prescription pair, you can collect and wear a stunning array of fashionable sunglasses that protect your eyes from the sun’s rays – a very important thing for everyone to do, but especially after investing in refractive lens exchange, SBK LASIK surgery, refractive cataract surgery, or other vision correction procedures.

Follow these tips to build a collection for everyday wear, or to pick out a pair or two that you love.

Choose Sunglasses Frames That Complement Your Facial Shape

Although it’s tempting to buy several pairs of sunglasses simply because you like how they look on the rack, try each pair on to find one that works well with your facial shape, just as you would when purchasing prescription eyeglasses before laser vision correction.

If you have an oval face shape, congratulations! You’ll look great in almost any frame shape and can even pull off oversized ones!

For square faces, consider a rounded frame, which contrasts with the sharp angles of your visage. Curves will soften your features.

Do you have a round face – one that is the same width from the jaw up to your eyebrows? Then you’ll want to look for angular frames, like rectangular ones, or upswept frames, like a classic cat-eye. These angles will offset your round cheeks and pull focus to your eyes.

Heart-shaped faces look good in bottom-heavy frames or oval frames, which pull attention toward your eyes and away from your narrower chin.

What Lens Color Should You Buy?

If you’re planning to wear your new sunglasses for a specific activity, lens color can be important.

If you’re wearing your sunglasses in the snow or for indoor sports, for example, yellow-tinted lenses can be a big help. If you’re a fan of golfing, choosing sunglasses with green-tinted lenses can help you keep an eye on the ball.

Do you visit the lake during summer weekends? Brown or amber polarized lenses can help reduce reflection off the water. This shade is also ideal for driving on cloudy days. For bright, sunny days, the best lens color is gray or amber, too.

If you’re casually wearing sunglasses, you can choose any lens color you like, as long as they offer UV protection.

How Do You Know They Provide UV Protection?

UV rays from the sun increase your risk of developing cataracts, macular degeneration, or ocular melanoma, a type of cancer. And after laser vision correction, your eyes may temporarily be more sensitive to sunlight. Wearing sunglasses that provide UV protection is akin to wearing sunscreen – it’s a must!

The only real way to know if your new sunglasses offer UV protection against the sun’s harmful rays is to test the lenses with a photometer. Or, you could ensure that the sunglasses you purchase have UV protection information printed on their label. Look for glasses that say they provide 100 percent protection against both UVA and UVB rays, or 100 percent protection against UV 400. It’s safe to assume that very cheap sunglasses don’t provide much, if any, UV protection.

Don’t Be Afraid to Make a Bold Statement

The great thing about sunglasses frames is that they don’t have to be serious, especially if you’re wearing them during your leisure time. Consider a colorful frame that makes a bold statement, or a unique shape you might not have chosen before.

Try on a variety of sunglasses until you find a pair or two that you’ll enjoy wearing. It’s important that you like the way you look in them, because you should be wearing them any time you could be exposed to the sun, even on cloudy days.

Ready to Build Your Sunglasses Collection? See If You’re a Candidate for Laser Vision Correction

Ready to have fun with a few pairs of awesome shades? Looking to feel safer and more free in your daily life? Then it’s time to find out if you’re a candidate for one of several laser vision correction procedures in Kansas City.

At Durrie Vision, our refractive surgeons and their team conduct an Advanced Ocular Analysis, a multi-step exam that not only shows us the condition and health of your eye, but lets us better understand your refractive error. After the analysis, you’ll sit down with one of our surgeons to talk about your options, answer any questions you have, and learn more about our vision correction procedures.

If you’re a good candidate, we can get you on our surgery schedule right away, so you don’t have to wait very long at all to start seeing better.

Make the Best. Decision. Ever. by requesting an AOA at Durrie Vision in Overland Park today.