1. How do we figure out what frames suit us best?
Frames are a fashion item as well as a functional device. The frame that suits you best is the one that looks good, feels comfortable and, these days, expresses your individuality. The concept of certain frame shapes suiting certain face shapes is really no longer relevant. Frame designers look to break the rules all the time, with shape, colour and design features. However, frames serve an important function - they hold your lenses in front of your eyes! If a frame style, material or shape impacts on it's ability to do this, then it is not the right choice for you.
2. There are a number of face shapes that people relate to; oval, round, oblong, heart, triangle, diamond, square. What's the best style of frames for each?
Not too sure how to answer that. We have never subscribed to that theory at my practice, for the reasons above. It's an intangible thing - if a frame looks wrong, it just looks wrong. The biggest issue is size. A frame must be the right size for your face. Whilst sometimes a little frame may look 'cool' on a big boof head, if it doesn't fit appropriately it will fall off, be uncomfortable and potentially break sooner.
3. How do you figure out what shape your face is?
Again, we've never used this principle. I know certain dispensing chains have done so in the past, but to be honest, a good, experienced optical dispenser can pick what would look good on someone without defining their face shape first. It's like buying shoes. You put them on and a good salesperson will immediately know if they go with your outfit or not.
4. Why do you think people choose glasses that are flashy or designer wear?
Glasses are a fashion item. They are like jewellery or shoes, or ties for men. You wear them on your face, the most obvious part of the body. They should look good! And like most things, you get what you pay for. In general, more exclusive designer frames are better quality, and last longer, than less expensive frames.
5. How many pairs of glasses should we have?
How many shoes do you own? It makes sense to own more than one pair of glasses, they help us see better! Relying on one pair only is risky, if you lose your glasses it impacts on your ability to go to work, drive, read etc. But it also makes sense to have different pairs of glasses for different situations. The pair you wear to work might be different to the pair you wear on the weekends. And people often have different visual demands, requiring more than one pair of glasses. The pair you wear to see your computer might not be the same prescription as a pair you wear to read in bed, or watch TV or drive etc. Sometimes one lens does not suit all tasks.
6. Why are glasses so expensive?
Quite simply, they aren't. Like any product, they range from the inexpensive to the exclusive. It would be the same to ask why are cars so expensive? It is possible to spend thousands of dollars on glasses, or under $100. Again, quality determines price. And don't forget that modern lenses are amazing technology. They may be computer designed, low distortion, impact resistant, thin-and-light, non-reflective or photosensitive. Lenses these days are high tech devices, and anybody who remembers how thick and heavy glasses used to be would agree.
7. Do we have the technologies available in Australia to create the same quality we import from overseas?
Frames or lenses? The vast majority of glasses sold in Australia are fitted with lenses that are manufactured locally. Big lens companies like Essilor, Carl Zeiss and Hoya have manufacturing plants in Australia that produce extremely high quality products. Australian frame manufacturers tend to be more of a niche market, but are also good quality.
8. What are the various options available in lenses? (scratch resistant, anti-reflective, transition, polarised, changeable tints) What's the difference between them all?
Hard coating - this takes the surface of the lens and makes it extremely scratch resistant, and is generally applied to all lenses these days.
Anti-reflective coating - this reduces annoying reflections from the lenses, and increases the amount of light that transmits through the lens, improving quality of vision. Most anti-reflective coatings are combined with a hard coating and called a Multicoat.
Photosensitive - these lenses react to sunlight and darken/lighten depending on the conditions. The most popular, well-known brand is Transition, but there are others.
Polarised - tinted lenses which specifically reduce the reflected light from roads, water etc, which is responsible for most glare problems.
High Index - thinner, lighter lenses which improve the appearance of higher prescriptions, and avoid the 'coke bottle' affect.
9. Are transition lenses appropriate for everybody?
Photosensitive lenses protect the wearer from UV light, and reduce glare, therefore increasing comfort. Almost everybody would benefit from this.
10. What's the difference between bifocals and multifocals? Are either necessarily better?
A bifocal is an old lens design where the lens has two powers - usually one of reading and one for distance. The two sections are divided by a line, with the distance section on top and the reading section below. A multifocal, or more correctly a progressive lens, does essentially the same job, without the dividing line. However, a progressive lens has some significant advantages - the gradual change is often easier to wear, it provides a gradually increasing reading power, so people can read at varying distances, and looks better cosmetically. Most people these days would chose progressive lenses, however, your optometrist will always recommend the most appropriate product for you.
11. Are there any new technologies that are changing the way we wear glasses?
Thinner lighter 'high index' lenses mean that people with strong prescriptions no longer need to wear thick heavy lenses. They can chose elegant, lightweight frames and still look good. The materials used in frames are constantly evolving. Flexible metals that keep their shape, titanium alloys that are virtually unbreakable but weigh almost nothing, and frames without any screws or hinges are all now available.
12. What should we look for when buying sunglasses?
The most important thing is that the sunglass meets the Australian Standard (it should say on the label) for UV protection. Sunglasses should be comfortable, give good coverage, and the lenses should be optically clear and free of distortion. Ideally they should not change your colour perception too much, especially glasses used for driving. And they should look good!
