Formby and Southport sun-seekers urged to stay safe and stylish by avoiding inadequate sunglasses
As sun-seekers prepare for their summer holidays, Specsavers stores in Formby and Southport are warning people about the dangers of wearing throwaway-fashion that does not provide adequate UV protection and is urging sun-seekers to stay safe this summer.
With the classic British summer making no promises on how much hot weather we’ll see this year it’s easy to be caught unawares, but the increase in the hours of sun means the risk of UV damage is higher.
At this time of year, local specs wearers will flock to buy sunglasses to shield their eyes, but many are still unaware of the consumer symbols they should be looking out for.
Excessive UV exposure, over a period of time, can cause or accelerate the development of cataracts or macular degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in later life. It can also cause unhealthy and permanent changes to the front of the eye which are cosmetically undesirable.
And while most people are aware of the effect of sun damage to their skin, many do not consider the potential impact on their eyes.
Victoria Dunn, store director at Specsavers Southport and Formby store director at Specsavers Southport and Formby says: ‘When the sun comes out at this time of the year, many people get worried about protecting their skin form the sun, whilst forgetting that sunlight can similarly be the source of irrevocable damage to the eyes.
‘This becomes even more serious an issue when you consider that many available sunglasses on the high street are built with style rather than safety in mind.
‘Sunglasses without the CE kite mark and which do not have the mark UV-400 shown on their labelling simply do not offer the 99-100 per cent UV protection required to keep your eyes safe.
‘The tint, the darkness, and even the price of sunglasses do not necessarily promise adequate protection to your eyes without those CE and UV-400 markings. In fact, dark tinted throwaway-fashionable sunglasses actually threaten the safety of your eyes more than would be the case without sunglasses at all, as they will encourage your eyes to widen, letting in more light and more damaging UV rays over time.
‘It is especially paramount for parents buying sunglasses for their children, as a child’s eyes let in more UV rays due to their having clearer lenses and larger pupils.
‘Because of this, I would strongly advise parents to make sure that their children are wearing the correctly CE and UV-400 marked sunglasses from as soon as they will keep sunglasses on, which is typically from around the age of two.’
If sun-seeking shoppers have any questions at all, the Specsavers Formby and Southport teams will be more than happy to check whether their sunglasses offer suitable protection, as well as offer any advice and answer any queries about their eye health this summer.
Specsavers stocks a wide range of designer prescription sunglasses for all tastes and age ranges. Its designer ranges include the brands Cath Kidston, Aurora, Kylie Minogue, Converse, Superdry and many more. These can be bought with or without prescription lenses, and can be worn with contact lenses.
To make an appointment with Specsavers Formby 01704 832311 or for Southport call 01704 501944.
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