FRAMES AND LENSES
|
FRAMES:
We carry a large selection of eyeglass and sunglass frames including mens, womens and teen/tween styles, and we are always on the lookout for independent eyewear brands to add to our collections. Our current collection includes selections from: TOMS: featuring 35+ timeless silhouettes & 105 colorways. Your purchase of TOMS eyewear gives back in our community and 14 other countries worldwide! TOMS will give an eye exam PLUS a sight-saving surgery, a medical treatment, or pair of glasses for every frame sold. www.toms.com/optical |
ProDesign:Denmark: which balances classic, clean and well-fitting styles for men and women, with bold and playful color combinations, most styles available with adjustable nosepads for a custom fit.
prodesigndenmark.com/
Our newest collection is by Mó Eyewear. Mó produces hundreds of different styles in a huge variety of colors. It's worth checking out their website:
www.moeyewear.com/
prodesigndenmark.com/
Our newest collection is by Mó Eyewear. Mó produces hundreds of different styles in a huge variety of colors. It's worth checking out their website:
www.moeyewear.com/
For more information about any of our frame collections, please feel free to give us a call 626-796-5533.
EYEGLASS LENS MATERIALS:
Phoenix (Trivex) is the lens we recommend most in our office. We like Phoenix by The Hoya Free-Form Co. because it is scratch resistant (with a 2-year warranty), impact resistant, and 100% UV resistant. It is extremely sharp and clear, having better optical quality than polycarbonate, and is very light-weight. Phoenix is usually the best choice for rimless and semi-rimless frames because it is less likely to crack over time than polycarbonate. It is also one of the best options for tinted sun-lenses as they can achieve a darker tint, which is helpful if you are light sensitive. For very high prescriptions, it is sometimes better to use a high-index lens than trivex. People who should have Phoenix lenses include: kids and teens (because of their very active lifestyles), and people who have decreased vision in one or both eyes (because we need to do everything we can to protect the remaining vision).
High index lenses are used for very large prescriptions. We choose from a range of high-index lenses, and that choice depends on how large the patient's prescription is. In the old days, if one had a very large prescription, it was necessary to wear very thick "coke-bottle" lenses. With the advent of high index lenses, it became possible to make the lenses look much nicer. These lenses also have built-in UV protection. It is recommended to add a high-quality anti-reflective treatment with built-in scratch coating to protect your investment. Ask our opticians about rolling and polishing the edges of your lenses to minimize the edge thickness, reduce the weight of your lenses and to make them look nicer.
Polycarbonate advantages include: impact resistance, which is important while playing sports or doing other potentially dangerous activities, and built-in protection from UV radiation. It is lighter and thinner than basic plastic so it is good for people whose prescriptions are somewhat larger. Polycarbonate is suitable for use in rimless frames because it is less likely to crack over time. Polycarbonate lenses are NOT scratch resistant so if your glasses usually scratch, we recommend adding a scratch resistant coating or high-quality anti-reflective treatment with built-in scratch coating.
CR39 is another name for basic plastic. This is the least expensive material. It is NOT impact-resistant, not UV resistant, and not scratch resistant. We strongly recommend adding these treatments to CR-39, or selecting a material that has these features already built-in. This is NOT a suitable lens choice for children or teens, and is not recommended for use in prescription sunglasses.
Glass lenses are heavy and there is more danger of the lenses shattering. We strongly advise against their use.
Dr. Gore and the staff will be happy to discuss your lens options at your next visit.
LENS TREATMENTS:
There are various types of lens add-ons that are beneficial. For example, we usually advise a high quality anti-reflective coat (We like Super High-Vision & Super High-Vision EX3 by HOYA) because it increases visual comfort, makes it easier to clean your lenses, has a built-in anti-scratch coat with warranty, and looks nicer. Any lens not treated with an anti-reflective coat will have reflections because some of the light reaching the lens will go through the lens and some of it will bounce off the lens and into our eyes. We perceive this as an annoying reflection. After the lens is treated with an anti-reflective coat, nearly 100% of visible light goes through the lens instead of bouncing off the surface.
Poor quality and older anti-reflective coats were associated with difficulty cleaning the lens and also disintegration of the coating over time, which caused a smudged appearance. This is usually not a problem with the better quality anti-reflective coats now.
Another type of lens our patients often like are Transitions lenses. These become dark while worn outside, and they lose their color indoors. These lenses have built-in UV protection. There are also Transitions XTRActive lenses that get even darker when in sunlight and the new TRANSITIONS VANTAGE which polarizes as it darkens. These lenses will have a slight indoor tint.
We recommend selecting a lens with 100% UV protection. It is important to protect our eyes from harmful solar radiation, just as we must protect our skin by using sunblock. Too much UV light has been associated with earlier or worse cataracts and eyelid tumors.
Polarized sunglasses increase visual comfort for many people who are sensitive to glare and bright lights. They decrease glare by eliminating light bouncing off horizontal surfaces (such as the road, the hood of the car, and water). Most people find them very soothing to wear outdoors.
Some people prefer to use clip-on sunglasses instead of having a separate pair of sunglasses. We can order custom-made clip-on sunglasses for almost any frame.
If you have been unhappy with progressive lenses in the past, there are some new types that are easier to adapt to, because the intermediate and near sections are wider, and there is less distortion on the sides of the lenses. We have begun to use freeform progressives with a lot of success, such as Hoya's iD Lifestyle:
Freeform progressive lenses have many advantages over traditional progressives, including the fact that they are designed specifically for your prescription and the frame you select.
For people who are heavy computer users (and who isn't nowadays?), there are various options available that improve visual comfort and clarity. For example, there are computer progressives that provide clear vision at the computer distance in the top part of the lens, and clear vision for paperwork at the bottom part of the lens. Some brands of computer lenses allow vision up to several feet away.
Visit www.choosemylens.com to help you find the lenses and treatments that best fit your lifestyle.
