You may be surprised to find out that in the history of sunglasses, they weren’t always used to protect people’s eyes from the sun. Sunglasses date back to ancient China and Rome where it is reported that Roman emperor Nero enjoyed watching the gladiator fights through polished gems. And in China, sunglasses were used in the twelfth century, possibly even earlier.
Sunglasses were first made out of lenses that were flat pieces of smoky quartz. They were not used as prescription sunglasses to correct vision and they did not block any of the harmful UV rays, but they did reduce the glare and made those bright sunny days a little easier on the eyes. Chinese judges used smoky quartz glasses to hide their eye expressions in order to interview witnesses.
Sunglasses did not undergo any changes until the eighteenth century when James Ayscough experimented with tinted lenses in eyeglasses. He believed that glass colored green or blue would help to correct eye problems.
Sam Foster introduced the sunglasses to America in 1929 where they underwent more change. They were designed to protect people’s eyes from the sun and Foster sold them at local beaches and at Woolworth on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Polarized sunglasses became popular in 1936 when Edwin H. Land began to use his Polaroid filter when making
sunglasses. Even more Americans began buying sunglasses and they became very popular among the musician and movie star scene. The fact that so many famous people began to wear sunglasses made them -cool- and sales skyrocketed. People
even began wearing them at night and indoors.
A Guide to Choosing Sunglasses
Sunglasses are one of the ultimate fashion accessories. They are great in helping you to create your own unique image. What exact style you choose really depends on your personal taste, age and the shape of your face. Yet, not matter what style of sunglasses you are thinking of buying, it is important that you end up choosing the best possible quality pair.
Some tips to choosing quality sunglasses are provided below. Being educated by what makes a quality pair of sunglasses is very important when you are searching for your next pair of sunglasses. Keep these tips in mind when you are browsing.
Protection from UV
One major contributor to eye disease is ultraviolet radiation. This is why it is important to choose a pair of sunglasses that protect you from the harmful effect of UV. Just because your glasses have a dark tint doesn’t mean that you are protect from UV. Make sure you check the sunglasses UV rating.
What the Sunglasses Are Made From
Generally speaking the heavier the sunglasses the higher quality they will be. You want to ensure that the material that they are made from will last a long time and be able to resist the constant knocks that sunglasses typically take.
Different Tints
Tints are the colors that are applied to sunglasses lenses to help reduce the light that makes contact with the eyes. The particular tint you choose is up to your personal taste. However, different tints will have a different effect on the perceived brightness and glare, and will distort color differently.
As an example, gray tints reduce glare and don’t distort the color. On the other hand, yellows lens will distort color but sharpen your perceived view.
To Polarize or Not to Polarize?
Sunglasses that are polarized will reduce the glare of the light which bounces off roads and water. They are typically preferred by people who drive a lot during the day or boat on the water. If you work or play near a lot of flat surfaces you may wish to investigate using polarized sunglasses.
Sunglasses & Headaches
Most people suffer from headaches at one time or another, and many people in North American suffer from migraines, ranging in frequency from several times a year to once a month or more often. In many cases, a migraine or severe headache forces the sufferer into isolation until it goes away, damaging their ability to work, socialize, and generally live life to its fullest.
What most people don’t already realize is that many migraines and headaches can be prevented through the regular use of a good set of sunglasses! Regardless of whether it’s the summer solstice or the frigid depths of winter, a high quality pair of sunglasses is a very useful preventive health item as well as a fashion accessory. Since bright light can trigger migraines, headaches, and contribute to tension and other disorders, a good pair of sunglasses can significantly improve your quality of life, as well as preventing serious eye degeneration that can eventually lead to blindness.
An effective pair of sunglasses should block both UVA and UVB rays, but new research suggests that High Energy Visible (HEV) light may also contribute to eye disorders, particularly in children. There is still insufficient data on this subject, but some manufacturers now design to block UV rays as well as HEV light, reducing your changes or visual damage from light sources.
It’s very important to note that dark glasses are not the same as UV-exclusive glasses. Check to make sure that your shades are made by a reputable manufacturer, and that they’re certified to block out UVA and UVB at least – if they don’t do this, it’s very possible that they’re worsening your exposure to harmful light by tricking your eyes into.
Since damage from UV exposure is cumulative, it’s important to regularly wear a high-quality set of sunglasses, and to start young. If you teach your children at a young age about the value of wearing good sunglasses, you may save their eyes from damage later – and besides, everyone knows how cool a good set of shades look.