The Pros and Cons of always wearing sunglasses

Some people love wearing sunglasses all the time, as protection against the sun and as a fashion accessory. Some people wear sunglasses to cover their eyes because of medical reasons. Many people, especially those in the limelight, wear sunglasses at night too. Whatever their reason for doing so, are you giving them a good reason for judging you for wearing shades all the time?

Check out these pros and cons of wearing sunglasses all the time.

First of all...

Choosing a pair of sunglasses based on brand or style alone is not enough to get the most out of your shades.

• When buying sunglasses, look for ones that are marked UV 400 or 99-100% UV absorption. This means they'll block both UVA and UVB sunrays.
• Dark lenses are not necessarily better esp. if they don’t have UV protection.
• Ground glass sunglasses are better than plastic because ground glasses don’t distort your vision.
• If you love to ski or surf, go ahead and choose large frames that wrap around your face.

Pros

1. You can see better in the sun

When the sun is blazing hot, you should wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from the strong glare. If you don't wear shades on a sunny day and you stare at the sun, you might get a headache or a migraine.

2. Sunglasses protect us from harmful UV radiation

The Sun’s ultraviolet rays can damage the eyes, especially when they are present in strong sunlight or even when they are present on cloudy or overcast days. Wearing sunglasses can help protect the eyes from these rays. He sun may damage the following parts of the eye:

• Retina: some studies have made a connection between exposure to UV light and macular degeneration, which can lead to blindness.
• Whites of eyes: if your eyes are sunburned, the conjunctiva, a thin membrane that covers the whites of eyes, will thicken. This inflammation will cause your eyes to become red and irritated, and your vision will be impaired.
• Lens: UV light damage can lead to cataract development, i.e. cloudiness on eye lens which will lead to vision problems. So for better eye health, we should wear sunglasses in the sun.
• Iris: people who have blue eyes definitely should wear sunglasses as blue eyes are more susceptible for UV light damage.
• Cornea: even the cornea can be acutely sunburned, which can cause serious pain and sometimes temporary blindness.

3. Sunglasses protects from glare and water

You should always wear sunglasses when skiing, but it’s a really good idea to get some that have polarized lenses. These lenses will help to reduce the bluish glare from the snow.  Similarly, wear your shades while undergoing water activities.

4. Sunglasses help protect the skin around the eyes

One of the reasons you see people wearing sunglasses is to protect their sensitive eyes from the sun. The skin around your eyes is very sensitive and if exposed to the sun for a long time or under strong sunlight, you are likely to develop crow’s feet.

5. They make you feel confident

I know you feel good when you wear the Woodies sunglasses. Most people who own a pair of our glasses tell us that they do, in fact, boost their self-confidence. A study my Eye Care Center showed that people are much more confident wearing our glasses than others.

6. They help you hide micro expressions when you want

The main reason people wear sunglasses all the time is so they can hide their eyes. Sometimes people want to hide their emotions or intelligence level, but it’s harder to do that when you’re looking someone right in the eye.

7. Sunglasses protect you from photophobia

Some people suffer from photophobia, or a fear of light. Exposure to sunlight or artificial light makes them involuntarily react with watering eyes, headaches and an urge to sneeze. Sun glasses are the only thing that prevent these painful and involuntary reactions.

Cons

1. Your eyes need beneficial sunlight

You should avoid wearing sunglasses during daylight hours. Sunlight provides vital nutrients to the eyes and maintains certain processes in the brain. The presence of sunlight will regulate your sleep hormones, leading to good sleep patterns.

2. You become less sensitive to darkness and light

If you keep wearing sunglasses day and night, you will lose your ability to adapt to different light conditions. Just as we lose the use parts of our body when we don’t use them, so also our eyes lose their flexibility.

3. You may suffer from eye fatigue

Natural sunlight is necessary to properly allow the eyes to focus. We are not meant to cover them for long periods of time and they will tire more quickly when wearing sunglasses.

Wearing sunglasses that don't have the right UV protection is worse than wearing no sunglasses at all, as our eyes are very sensitive organs that open up even wider when we're looking at something bright, allowing more UV light to enter.

A pair of good sunglasses is probably the best way to wear sunglasses without hurting your eyes, although there are rare cases where you might want to wear glasses instead.