How can I check if my sunglasses are REALLY UV coated?

Discussion in 'Glasses' started by Reza, Aug 18, 2003.

  1. Reza

    Reza Guest

    Hello everyone and thanks for taking time to answer my question.

    I live in southeast asia, where fake items and ripoff sunglasses are
    everywhere.

    My question is that if I find a nice sunglasses that the shop salesman
    INSISTS are totally UVA/UVB protected, and he shows me the small cheap
    sticker on the glass that says so, am I supposed to beleive him?

    Is there anyway to check and see if the glasses are REALLY UV coated?

    Can I buy UV coating off the shelf from someplace and apply it myself?

    Is it possible to coat my clear white subscription glasses with UV
    coat or are they only for tinted sunglass?


    Thank you very much for your kind answers.

    Reza.
     
    Reza, Aug 18, 2003
    #1
  2. I seem to remember my ophthalmologist telling me something to that
    effect back in the 1970's. He said something about how he didn't
    recommend sunglasses--that your eyes would adjust to the sunlight
    without them. These days, all I seem to ever read about is how
    sunglasses are highly recommended for UV protection (even if you are
    already wearing UV-protecting contact lenses).

    As for the pupils being already adapted to do the work that sunglasses
    do, I suppose that is analogous to the job your skin is supposed to do
    in protecting you from the sun. Human skin may have evolved UV
    protection mechanisms over hundreds of thousands of years (pigment
    response to sunlight, etc.), but I don't think many people would argue
    that you are better off without sunscreen than with it.

    Just my $0.02--feel free to ignore it.

    Lothar
     
    Lothar of the Hill People, Aug 19, 2003
    #2
  3. I've been involved in the production of TanOptic sunglasses - designed
    so you will get a tan. We had make special batches of lenses without
    uv-blocking agent. (For the TanOptic specific lens we then added
    uv-blocker but only to the central zone of the lens).

    UV-blocking and uv-stickers as a selling point and a reason to charge
    more is ridiculous - even the cheapest lenses have uv-blocker.

    There has been some concern regarding blue light and that near uv-rays
    might be harmful. There have been lenses to block this but the red
    color did not sell very well - as you might imagine.

    Carl E Eriksson
     
    Carl E Eriksson, Aug 19, 2003
    #3
  4. Reza

    Reza Guest

    Thank you very much gentleman for your responses.

    I'll just take your advice and pick a dark gray one.

    Reza.
     
    Reza, Aug 19, 2003
    #4
  5. Reza

    The Real Bev Guest

    If you're really hung up on staring at the sun, astronomy shops sell
    glasses (reasonably cheap) that make this possible. We bought some to
    take to Mazatlan for the '91 eclipse and gave them to kids on the way back
    -- the kids were looking directly at the sun and they thought that the
    gringos yelling "peligroso!" were funny. A certain type of welders'
    glasses will work too.

    Maybe...
     
    The Real Bev, Aug 20, 2003
    #5
  6. Reza

    Dr. Leukoma Guest

    Also, eating 'mater and greens will help protect the eyes against the
    effects of UV. Alternatively, you can use nutritional supplements
    containing lycopene, xeaxantine, and vitamin C.

    DrG
     
    Dr. Leukoma, Aug 21, 2003
    #6
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