08/12/2018
CHOOSING FRAME FOR YOUR SPECTACLE LENSES
What’s in a Frame?
Choosing a frame for your glasses can be a daunting task, but choosing the right frame is important because eyewear frames can truly enhance your appearance, just as your lenses enhance your vision.
➳ Glasses should fit securely on the bridge of the nose, without pinching the nose. The frames should not press into the face at any point. When the wearer moves his head, or even bends over and touches the floor, the frames should stay in place.
➳ Frames come in a variety of material and colours. They are of varying durability, weight, and price. There are designer brands and less expensive brands, and some are made of hypoallergenic materials while others are not.
Having the right fit for glasses will make them more comfortable to wear, and the wearer will avoid having painful red marks pressed into the bridge of his nose. People like their glasses to be comfortable and easy to wear. In a recent survey conducted by the Vision Council of America, 88 percent of people surveyed said that comfort was their first priority in choosing frames for their eye glasses.
➳ Considering these many options, it is important to find frames that not only suit your style and are fitted to the shape of your face, but are also suited for your prescription and lifestyle. It is important to understand the importance of durability, consistency of finish and manufacturer, company reliability, and style appeal. These qualities are not always found in lesser quality frames or vendors.
➳ Even more important, having eye glasses fit properly gives the best vision correction. When eye glasses sit crookedly on, or slide down the nose, the angle of vision is changed and vision through corrective lenses is less accurate. Well fitted glasses are important for both comfort and eyesight.
Allow yourself to be guided by a specialist (Opticians or Optometrists) when choosing the right type of frames for your prescribed spectacles lenses.
The length of the temple on the frame will also influence the way eye glasses fit. If the temples are too short, the entire frame will be pulled too close to the face, and the bridge of the eye glasses will press painfully into the wearer’s nose. If the temples are too long, the glasses will slide down the wearer’s nose and distort his vision.
➳ In general, plastic frames rest directly on the nose, while metal frames are supported by nose pads. Even so, metal frames must have the right bridge size if the glasses are to fit the wearer properly. The nose pads primarily spread the weight of the glasses over a larger area, so they will be more comfortable.
➳ Adjusting the nose pad arms will change the way the eye glasses sit on the nose. Pressing the nose pads closer together will make the glasses sit higher on the nose. If the glasses slide down the nose frequently, moving the nose pads closer together will usually solve the problem. Spreading the nose pads further apart will cause the glasses to sit lower on the nose.
➳ When eye glasses are sitting crookedly on the nose, usually the temples of the eye glasses need to be adjusted. Many people have one ear that is very slightly higher than the other. Adjusting the temples to compensate for this lets the frames sit evenly on the wearer’s nose.
➳ You should always consult a professional before choosing a frame. If you have never purchased a pair of glasses, you may not know that there is much more to it than just getting a prescription and picking out your favorite frames.
➳ There are other considerations, such as the shape of your face, your skin tone, your lifestyle needs, lens designs, lens features, etc. Most opticians can assess your prescriptions, face shape, and skin tone without you even knowing they have done so.
➳ When you visit your optician, however, they will ask you a few questions about your lifestyle and fashion needs in order to better help you in choosing the right frame.