5 Things You Never Knew About Sunglasses

While many may look at sunglasses as simply a way to block the sun on a bright day or reduce glare for better visibility while driving or playing your favourite sport, the benefits go much farther.

1. Wearing “cheap” sunglasses is actually worse than going without. If sunglasses offer shade, but don’t offer UVA and UVB protection, they’ll cause your eyes to dilate (pupils get larger) which allows more of those harmful rays in.                                                                    

2. Sunglasses are not just for bright sunny days.  Over time, the exposure of walking to and from the car, driving to work or just going for short walk can damage the eyes. To combat the harmful effects of the sun, we should wear a pair of quality polarized sunglasses because they block out harmful UV rays and eliminate glare.

3. Leaving eyes exposed can cause you to age more quickly. Potential damage from UV rays includes sunburns on the eye’s surface, cataracts, macular degeneration and even cancer of the eye and surrounding skin. In addition, this delicate skin is the first place we form wrinkles. Protecting the eye area keeps us younger… longer.

4. The right sunglasses help prevent skin cancer. Where’s the one place you can’t apply sunscreen? Around your eyes! This leaves the thin, delicate skin around your eyes, as well as your eyes themselves, unprotected. In fact, 5 to 10% of all skin cancer occurs around the eyes.  Look for the Skin Cancer Foundation seal the next time you shop for sunglasses, and select a high quality pair of polarized sunglasses to help protect the area around your eyes from harm. Wrap around styles are even better, as they offer even more coverage and protection.

5. Allow you to see better in the dark.  No, not by wearing your sunglasses at night.  It’s about the time it takes your eyes to adjust from light to dark.  Bright sunlight bleaches the photoreceptors and lengthens the time it takes your eyes to adjust to the dark. Normally, your eyes should adapt fully to the dark within 30 minutes. Being in bright sunlight for two to three hours can delay the adaptation by hours, though.  By protecting our eyes, we keep that adaptation period short, making us better night drivers, skiers and dog walkers!

 

Why Maui Jim?

All Maui Jim sunglasses have been recommended by the Skin Cancer Foundation as an effective UV filter for the eyes and surrounding skin. They’re the only premium sunglasses brand with the Skin Cancer Foundation’s seal of approval.

How? All Maui Jim sunglasses feature their patented PolarizedPlus2® lens technology, which wipes out 99.9% of the glare, blocks 100% of the harmful UV rays and boosts colour. Maui Jim offers a variety of frame styles for active lifestyles and four unique lens colours that will enhance your view in every light condition.

For more information, visit MauiJim.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram at @OfficialMauiJim.