Current Trends in the Fashion and Design of Eyeglass Frames

While eyewear’s primary function is to provide clear vision to help people see the world, the fashion element of eyeglasses cannot be overlooked. The design and style of a person’s eyeglass frames says a lot about who that person is and how they want the world to see them.

Match Eyewear is a leading international manufacturer of superior quality eyewear. The company has developed popular brands of eyewear collections with style, diversity and craftsmanship.

Here are the current trends in eyeglass frame fashion and design that Match Eyewear is seeing today.

Large Styles

After years of shrinking eyewear, the pendulum is beginning to swing in the other direction.  Though it began in sun wear, the trend is now prevalent in ophthalmic frames. Cosmetically, larger frames display the entire eye area, including the eyebrows, so eyes are naturally emphasized.  Design possibilities are nearly limitless with the additional area large frames provide.  Functionally, wearers find that the fuller field of view that larger frames provide offers much less distraction and obstructed vision.  Examples of this trend are the 4188 from Helium Paris and the 1106 from Adrienne Vittadini.

4188 Helium Paris

1106 Adrienne Vittadini

Being a Geek is Cool!

Geek Chic is a style in eyeglass frames making the scene everywhere including red carpet events and fashion runways, proving all over again that it will always be hip to be square. This is particularly true for ophthalmic frames.  DG13 and DG16 from Danny Gokey Eyewear offer a retro take on the trend with shape, but keep the styling current with modern textures and colors.

DG13 Danny Gokey Eyewear

DG16 Danny Gokey Eyewear

Vivid Colors for Men

Distinct colors are all over the fashion runways for Spring and men’s eyewear is no exception. Many collections this year include splashes of color like the pop of blue on 4141 from Helium Paris.

4141 Helium Paris

Elegant Embellishment

True luxury doesn’t lie merely in the cachet of a brand name.  For eyewear, luxury means creative and innovative design, superior craftsmanship, premium components and exquisite embellishments. Meticulous and elegant details like the intricately sculpted temples and Swarovski crystal accents on 1048 and 1094 from Adrienne Vittadini are perfect examples of the collection’s refined sophistication.  4207 from Helium Paris takes luxury to a new, bold level with a sleek metal logo emblem encased in Swarovski crystals at the temple.

1048 Adrienne Vittadini

1094 Adrienne Vittadini

4207 Helium Paris

To learn more about eyeglass frame designs and fashions that match your personal style and compliment your appearance, please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Shawnee Optical’s team of eye care professionals has been providing customers with a superior level of quality and friendly service for more than 35 years!

Today’s Different Lenses for Eyeglasses and the Flexibility They Offer

Just like computers and cell phones, eyeglass lenses have evolved over time and continue to do so.  As the name implies, eyeglass lenses were once exclusively made out of glass. Now, lenses can be made from glass as well as many different types of specially formulated plastics that are matched to the vision correction needs and the choices of the person who will be wearing the eyeglasses.

Today, eyeglass lenses are thinner and more lightweight than ever. When you factor in the different coatings that can be applied to lenses, they can also be resistant to scratches, dust, smudges and fogging.  Modern-day lens options also offer more flexibility and compatibility when it comes to selecting a pair of frames that provide the appearance and functionality desired.

Here’s an overview of the types of eyeglass lenses offered today:

High Index Plastic Lenses

If you wear thick “coke bottle” lenses, high index plastic lenses may be a welcome alternative. Specifically designed for people who require strong eyeglass prescriptions, these lenses offer a much thinner, lighter and attractive option compared to the traditionally thick lenses. To learn more about high index plastic lenses, please visit the following link:

https://shawneeoptical.wordpress.com/2012/11/26/slim-nice-figure-ideal-weight-and-attractive-whats-being-described-here/

Polycarbonate Lenses

Polycarbonate lenses are an impact-resistant type of plastic lens. They are a good choice for people who work or play in environments in which their eyeglass lenses may be easily dropped or scratched.  Polycarbonate lenses also provide ultraviolet protection.

Trivex Lenses

Similar to polycarbonate lenses, Trivex lenses are made from a special type of plastic that is thin, lightweight and impact-resistant.  Trivex lenses provide better vision correction than polycarbonate lenses for some people.

Photochromic Lenses

Photochromic lenses can be made from either plastic or glass. When exposed to sunlight, this type of eyeglass lens changes from clear to tinted eliminating the need for prescription sunglasses.

Polarized Lenses

Polarized lenses are commonly found in sunglasses. These types of lenses reduce glare and the light reflected from water, snow or a flat surface.

Regardless of the type of lens, the purpose remains the same. They all are made to focus light correctly on the retina in order to provide clear vision.

Learn more about the options and features available for eyeglasses from a company and a team of eye care professionals who have been providing a superior level of service for eye care and eye wear for more than 35 years. Please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Anti-Reflective Coating: Enhancing How You See the World and How the World Sees You

Anti-reflective coating (also known as anti-glare or AR) is a special treatment for eyeglasses where a very thin coating is applied to both sides of the lenses. Anti-reflective coating enhances both clear vision and the appearance of eyeglasses by eliminating reflections of light from the front and back surfaces of lenses.

Enhancing How You See the World   

Removing reflections from the surface of lenses reduces glare which makes it easier see while driving at night. In addition to reducing glare, AR allows more light to reach the eyes instead of being reflected away. This enhances comfort and visual clarity when using such things as a smart phone, a tablet, a computer or simply reading a book.

Enhancing How the World Sees You

Anti-reflective coating also improves the appearance of eyeglasses. Lenses without AR coating create reflections that   obscure the eyes of a person wearing glasses. Anti-reflective coating enables the lenses in a pair of eyeglasses to appear almost invisible.

Anti-reflective coating can be a great choice that allows a pair of eyeglasses to perform and look their best. Talk to your eye care and eye wear professional about anti-reflective coating for your eyeglasses.

Learn more about quality eye care and eye wear from a company and a team of eye care professionals who have been providing a superior level of service for more than 35 years. Please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Slim, Nice Figure, Ideal Weight and Attractive. What’s Being Described Here?

If you answered eyeglass lenses, you are correct!

Hi-index lenses offer people who wear eyeglasses with lens choices that are thin, light and attractive.

For people who have strong prescriptions for nearsightedness, farsightedness or astigmatism, hi-index lenses are a great way to avoid lenses that are thick, heavy and distort the natural appearance of your eyes.

The lenses in a pair of eyeglasses correct vision by bending or refracting light as it passes through each lens.  With conventional plastic and glass lenses, the more light that needs bent, the thicker the lenses must be.

Hi-index lenses are different.  Here’s how they work and the benefits they offer:

Increased Light Bending Abilities

Hi-index lenses are made of a special material that is able to bend or refract light much more efficiently than conventional lenses.  This means less lens material needs to be used to bend the appropriate amount of light that corrects vision.

Thin Construction

Due to the increased ability to bend light, hi-index lenses are much thinner than conventional plastic and glass lenses. Therefore, the profiles of eyeglasses are not dominated by thick lenses when hi-index lenses are used.

Comfortable Wear

Because less material is used with hi-index lenses, they do not weigh as much as conventional lenses. This makes them light weight and comfortable to wear.

Attractive

The fashions of today’s most popular frames have either very thin rims or no rims at all (rimless frames). The thickness of the lens becomes very important with these styles of eyeglass frames.  When lenses are too thick, the balance between the frames and lenses becomes disproportionate, resulting in a pair of eyeglasses that are not as cosmetically appealing as they could be with hi-index lenses.

Ask Your Eye Doctor About Hi-Index Lenses

Discuss hi-index lenses with your eye doctor to see if they are an option for you and your vision correction needs.  They may provide you with the function, comfort and appearance you desire in a pair of eyeglasses.

Learn more about quality eye care and eye wear from a company and a team of eye care professionals who have been providing a superior level of service for more than 35 years. Please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Shawnee Optical Now a Part of the Ashtabula Community

For more than 30 years, Shawnee Optical has played an integral part of communities throughout Ohio and Erie, Pennsylvania by providing generations of families with superior eye care, quality eye wear and unmatched customer service. Over those three decades, the company has earned a well deserved and respected reputation as a trusted and reliable source for family optical care.

On April 18, 2012, Shawnee Optical officially became a part of the Ashtabula, Ohio community with the opening of its new location at 3705 State Road in Ashtabula. Optometrists Dr. Angelo DeVivo and Dr. Dawn Barkan along with the dedicated Shawnee Optical staff are continuing the company’s proud tradition of quality and affordable eye care for families in the Ashtabula area.

“We are delighted to join this community”, exclaimed Bob Leonardi, president of Shawnee Optical. “We look forward to serving the eye care and eye wear needs of Ashtabula residents and becoming long-time members of this outstanding community”, he added.

For more information about Shawnee Optical and its new Ashtabula location, including the telephone number, hours of operation and convenience of scheduling an eye appointment on-line, please visit the Shawnee Optical website at http://www.eyeweareyecare.com/Ashtabula_Eye_Care_Location.html.

Eye Glasses: a History and the Future

Eye glasses are in the process of changing significantly. The eye glasses of tomorrow will be noticeably different than the variety of lenses and frames being offered today.

Eye Glasses History Lesson

Historians generally give credit to Italian monks for fabricating the first pair of eyeglasses at some point between the years 1285 – 1290. These spectacles, as they were commonly called, were used for reading.  Eye glasses to correct distance vision are estimated to have been crafted in the early 1400’s.

One of our Founding Fathers, Benjamin Franklin, invented bifocal lenses in the year 1784 which allowed for correction of both distance vision and near vision in the same lens. An Englishman, Sir George Airy, designed lenses to correct astigmatism in 1825.

Trifocal lenses which have three specific powers (one for near vision, one for intermediate vision and one for distance vision) were produced by inventor and musician John Hawkins in the year 1826.

In 1958, Essilor International introduced progressive multifocal lenses which further enhanced lenses with multiple powers for distance, intermediate and near vision.

Innovations in Eye Glasses

Technology is playing an increasing role in the evolution of eyeglasses. Lenses have been developed and continue to be refined whereby the entire lens adjusts with your vision needs.

Electronic eye glasses have been designed with a special type of lens filled with a clear crystal liquid layer that can be electronically controlled automatically or manually. A touch of the finger to the side of the frames or a tilt of the head in a certain direction changes the entire lens to serve your vision needs. If you want to read something, a tilt of the head downward will cause the eyeglasses to automatically adjust the entire lens for near vision. A split-second swipe of the finger across the temples of your frames will allow you to look up from what you were reading and see a distant object clearly through the convenience and comfort of the entire lens.

Electronic glasses are powered by a battery and need to be re-charged. They are currently offered to the public but as you may guess with any emerging technology, they are rather pricey today.

Computing via Eyeglasses

While not targeted towards vision correction, electronic display eyeglasses are being developed that use eye movements to control presentation of information. These eyeglasses contain a microchip that takes data from a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) and displays it directly on the person’s retina, creating an illusion that the images and text are a few feet away. Eye movements can control menus, search information, play video and conduct many other tasks routinely performed on desktops, laptops and mobile devices today.

This advancement in eye wear is still in the prototype phase. The technology is not yet at a point where its purchase and every day use are feasible.

Discuss emerging eye wear technologies that may serve your unique vision needs, lifestyle and budget with your eye doctor at your next eye exam. The options and the choices are changing.

To learn about a company and a team of eye care professionals that have been providing their patients with quality eye care and eye wear for more than 30 years, please visit www.shawneeoptical.com.

Importance of Sunglasses in Winter

The first snowflakes of winter will be falling before we know it. It will soon be time to break out the sweaters, scarves, gloves, wool socks and long underwear. As you are preparing your winter apparel, don’t forget your sunglasses. Here’s why:

Winter UV Rays      

The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays may not seem as potent in the winter as they do in the summer, but they are.  In fact, they are often times more intense during the winter months. Exposing your eyes to ultraviolet rays without proper protection can lead to eye damage of the cornea, lens and retina. UV exposure also contributes to certain types of cataracts.

Snow Blindness

UV rays can actually cause sunburned eyes. This condition is commonly known as snow blindness. Skiers and snowmobilers are particularly susceptible to snow blindness but it can happen to anyone outdoors in the winter time without the proper eye protection.

Winter Glare 

All surfaces reflect light but during the winter months, snow or ice intensifies these reflections. Snow and ice reflect nearly 85% of the sun’s rays, according to the Vision Council of America which can significantly interfere with your vision and cause hazardous situations, especially when driving a motor vehicle.

Changing Light Conditions of Winter

Winter is characterized by overcast skies, bright sun and many days with an ever-changing mix of both conditions. Our eyes require a specific amount of light to achieve good vision. Too much light or too little light will not foster consistently clear vision. Sunglasses balance the amount of light reaching your eyes which promotes good vision and comfort during the winter months.

Cold Winds of Winter

Cold winds during the winter months and the particles these winds carry can irritate your eyes. Sunglasses are an effective “wind block”, protecting your eyes from drying, reducing evaporation of tears and keeping your eyes moist. If you wear contact lenses, sunglasses can be a vital tool for clear vision and comfort.

Protecting your and all members of your family’s eyes during the winter months is important. Sunglasses are an essential item in your winter gear and apparel. They allow you to adapt quickly to changing light conditions and a proper fit will protect your eyes from UV rays as well as the extreme reflections generated from snow and ice covered surfaces.

Discuss proper eye protection and eye health for the winter months with your eye doctor. He or she will be able to provide you with the eye care and eye wear guidance and advice you need to satisfy the needs of your unique lifestyle.

To learn more about quality eye care and eye wear, please Contact Us or visit http://www.shawneeoptical.com.

Special Vision Needs for Internet and Cellular Use

We live in a digital world where the demands placed upon our eyes are growing exponentially. These demands now start at a very young age and continue throughout every stage of our life. We depend upon a TV, computer or smart phone at school, at work and to socialize with family and friends.  The importance of seeing clearly and comfortably at a range of approximately 1-3 feet is critical to everyday life.  This significance will only grow in the future as more and more of life’s tasks, functions and pleasures are conducted electronically.

Beyond Reading Glasses

Extended periods of time watching videos on YouTube, posting on facebook, searching on Google, tweeting on Twitter, networking on Linkedin, texting a friend or chatting with a family member commonly lead to health problems such as tired eyes, headaches and neck pain. To address these conditions, computer hardware and software manufactures as well as cell phone and smart phone manufactures are constantly developing new features, screen displays and fonts that are more eye-friendly.  However, more specialized eyeglass lenses beyond the capabilities and features of traditional reading glasses may be required to properly and effectively utilize technology and prevent chronic health conditions. Bifocals and Progressive lenses are not designed for computer and smart phone use. They may cause eye strain as well as neck and back pain as you adjust your body in the quest to find a position where your vision is clear and focused through your lenses.

Visual Fatigue Syndrome

Visual Fatigue Syndrome or VFS is typically caused by focusing on objects in the 1-3 feet vision range for extended periods of time. Symptoms of Visual Fatigue Syndrome may include Tired Eyes, Eyestrain, Blurred Vision, Dry Eyes, Burning Eyes, Headaches, Neck Pain and Back Pain.  More and more people are suffering from VFS due to the demands of their digital world. VFS can reduce your productivity and your ability to concentrate which often times leads to increased stress.

Talk to Your Eye Doctor

A candid conversation with your eye doctor can help you immensely with the demands of today’s technology as well as avoiding or reducing the effects of Visual Fatigue Syndrome.  It’s important to discuss your career and lifestyle demands with your eye doctor, especially as it relates to your use of technology equipment. What specific equipment you utilize on daily basis and the duration of use can be particularly helpful. For example, tell your eye doctor that you spend 6 hours a day working at a computer with a 15” monitor or you spend the majority of your day using an iPad.  Armed with this type of information, your eye doctor can offer valuable guidance on preparing your environment for optimal vision such as proper lighting and how to position your equipment.  In addition, your eye care professional can also recommend and prescribe special lenses that match the demands of your digital lifestyle.

Eyeglass Lenses Designed for the Computer and Visual Fatigue

To keep up with the modern world and its visual demands, eyeglass lens manufacturers are continually developing new specialty lenses.  Computer lenses provide a wide “near” area in order to see the entire computer screen clearly and comfortably with a small “distance” area so you can see across the room.  Anti-fatigue lenses are specialized lenses targeted at improving the “near” vision needed to operate a laptop, tablet computer or smart phone  and relieving the symptoms of visual fatigue such as burning eyes,  blurry vision, headaches and watery eyes.

Technology greatly improves our productivity and ability to communicate with others.  Make sure you are equipping yourself with the proper eyewear to keep up with the demands of your digital life and promote maximized eye health.

To learn more about quality eye care and eye wear, please visit http://www.shawneeoptical.com.

Eyeglasses or Contact Lenses, What’s Your Best Choice?

The Vision Council of America estimates there are 174 million corrective lens wearers in the United States. Whether these people choose eyeglasses or contact lenses, the basic process is the same. These lenses bend rays of light so that they come to a clear focus on the retina. There are also several notable differences in how these lenses function, answering these questions and understanding differences can help you choose which one is best for you and your lifestyle.

Do You Want Consistent Correction or Can You Live With Moments of Blur? 

Eyeglass lenses, being a solid chunk of plastic, bend light rays in the exact same way every minute of every day. Therefore, your vision correction is consistent and dependable. Contact lenses, by contrast, are paper thin and as bendable as a piece of cellophane. The natural flexing of contacts and their interaction with the eyes’ tear film can cause small variations in vision throughout the day. If you are adverse to the occasional “blurry moment” then contacts may not be your best bet.

Do You Want Clarity at All Angles?

Both eyeglasses and contacts deliver a crisp, clear image when you look straight ahead. However, with eyeglasses, as your eye moves out towards the periphery of the lens, you encounter more and more “prismatic” distortion. The stronger the prescription is, the more distortion occurs. Theoretically, the same is true with contact lenses, but due to the thinness of the material and the fact that contacts move with your eye, the distortion is greatly reduced. That is one reason why people with high prescriptions tend to prefer contacts.

Do You Depend on Your Peripheral Vision?

Sitting away from your face, eyeglasses have a built-in problem with peripheral vision. To see well to the right side, you must turn your head to the right. If you just glance sideways you’ll encounter blur as you go outside of the glasses’ field of vision. Contacts, moving with your eyes, deliver far greater peripheral vision. This is a key point for sports enthusiasts.

How Much Discomfort Can You Tolerate?

Contact lenses work in tandem with your eyes’ tear layer, so any change in your tears can impact lens comfort. Allergies, air conditioning, wind, and many other factors can make your eyes a little more or less watery, and that can greatly affect contact lens comfort and performance. Eyeglasses free you of these concerns, but as any eyeglass wearer can tell you, walking into a warm room on a cold day or watching a football game in the rain can carry a whole different set of comfort issues.

Are Fashion and Appearance Primary Considerations? 

While most people focus on finding an eyeglass frame thats fashionable, the larger cosmetic issue may be their lenses. A person who is nearsighted will have lenses that are thick at the edge and thin in the middle. This makes their eyes appear smaller than they really are. Conversely, those who are farsighted have lenses that are thicker in the middle and their eyes will appear larger than they really are. These considerations disappear for contact lens wearers.

How Much of a Health Risk and How Much Time Are You Willing to Invest?

Because contact lenses sit right on your eye, they pose a potential health risk. A lens that fits too tight or too loose can damage the cornea and poor hygiene and lens handling can lead to dangerous infection. That is why most eye doctors insist on regular yearly eye exams for their contact lens patients. Contact lens wearers should plan on investing more time on their eye care than their eyeglass wearing counterparts: more time at the doctor’s office and more time cleaning and caring for their lenses.

What’s Your Budget?

While a pair of designer eyeglasses can be fairly expensive, over time contact lens wear will generally prove to be more costly. Frequency of eye exams, frequency of lens replacement and the added expense of cleaning solutions drive up the total cost of contacts. You must also keep in mind that most eye doctors will strongly recommend that contact wearers also have a pair of eyeglasses to fall back on when needed.

To learn more about eyeglasses, eyeglass lenses, proper eye care, eye wear and Shawnee Optical, please visit our website at www.shawneeoptical.com.

How The Lenses of Eyeglasses Are Made

The function of an eyeglass lens is to bend rays of light so that when they enter the eye they focus perfectly on the eye’s retina. This idea of using lenses to improve faulty vision goes back many centuries. While the technology, equipment and precision used in the process of making lenses have changed exponentially in recent years, the basic steps in creating a prescription lens have remained largely the same for the past 50 years. Here’s how eyeglass lenses are made: 

Start with Lens Blanks

The process of creating a prescription eyeglass lens begins with large buttons of lens material that look like clear hockey pucks. These lens blanks are typically injection molded and mass produced using a variety of plastic resins. The front side of these lens blanks have set curvatures that define the nature of the lens. Single-vision lenses, bifocals, trifocals and the myriad of progressive addition lenses each have a unique front surface. Lens manufacturers often put millions of dollars into engineering the precise front curvatures of their progressive addition lenses (just in case you were wondering why your eyeglasses cost so much).

Step 1 – Surfacing

Once the technician selects the proper lens blank, he mounts it to a carrier block made of wax or lead alloy and inserts it into a lens lathe. Using computer settings dictated by your eye doctor’s prescription, the lathe shaves layers of material off the back side to create very precise curvatures and the desired thickness. It is the combination of the front side curvatures and the back side curvatures that determines how the lens will bend the light rays to correct various degrees of myopia, or near sightedness, hyperopia, or far sightedness, presbyopia, or reading vision, and astigmatism.

Step 2 – Fining

When the lens comes out of the lathe, the back side is somewhat rough. This gives it a frosted appearance. The technician now puts the lens on a fining machine, which uses a precisely tooled polishing block, called a lap, to polish the back side of the lens. The convex side of the lap is covered with a pad that is impregnated with a fine grit and is then mechanically agitated against the concave surface of the lens until the lens is totally clear. To picture this, make a fist with one hand, and then drape your other hand over the top of it and rotate your palm. That’s the fining process.

Step 3 – Edging

Now that the prescription has been ground in and polished, the lens is much thinner than when it started, but it is still the diameter of a hockey puck. The next step is to cut the lens down to size. In most labs today this is done with a computerized lens edger. The newly surfaced lens goes into the edger along with the frame you have selected. The edger uses a digital tracer to capture an exact three-dimensional image of the frame and then, using the fitting measurements provided by your optician, the edger passes the lens over a diamond cutting wheel until it is reduced to the proper size and shape.

Step 4 – Coatings 

Now the lens is ready for finishing touches. For example, lenses can be specially coated to resist scratching, to block ultraviolet light or to reduce reflections. Anti-reflective coatings are a rapidly growing segment. In dust-free coating equipment, the lens typically receives up to 16 ultrathin layers of metal oxide coating. These various layers combine to dampen glare, repel water and sometimes repel oil.

The Future of Eyeglass Lenses is Getting Clearer

While the vast majority of eyeglass lenses made today follow the procedures above, new technology is entering the market. Knowledge developed in the refinement of LASIK eye surgery is rapidly making its way to lens laboratories. The same concepts that doctors use to custom “carve” a patients cornea during LASIK surgery can be applied to plastic lenses. This emerging science, known as wavefront technology, will ultimately make lens blanks a thing of the past. New wavefront lens lathes will custom carve the front and back surfaces of lenses, resulting in greatly reduced visual distortion and improved lens clarity.

To learn more about eyeglasses, eyeglass lenses, proper eye care, eye wear and Shawnee Optical, please visit our website at www.shawneeoptical.com.