UV protecting lenses are not new....we've been protecting our patients and clients for years!

It's true... at Martin Reynolds Opticians we have been using Crizal UV lenses for several years. This coating comes in a few different types but the key features are the same: -

Innovative lens technology reduces glare from the sun and car headlights, helping you see better; reduces headaches and eye fatigue from using digital devices.

Crizal UV is the best E-SPF (Eye Sun Protection Factor) available on a clear lens.

With market-leading UV protection, smudge, scratch, dust and water resistance, it’s clear that Crizal UV is a great product.

So what is the big deal about UV?

UV radiation is the main factor responsible for skin cancers, including basal cell carcinoma (BCC), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and possibly melanoma. In fact, the World Health Organization has identified broad spectrum UV as a human carcinogen.

While the solar UV spectrum is continuous, it is a scientific convenience to describe the light within three specific wavebands - UVA, UVB and UVC - classified according to their wavelength. They differ in their biological activity and the depth to which they penetrate into the skin and eyes.

UVA is long wavelength (320-400 nm) UV and accounts for up to 95 percent of the solar UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. It can penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin and has for years been thought to play a major part in skin aging and wrinkling. Importantly, recent studies strongly suggest that it may also initiate and exacerbate the development of skin cancers. UVA rays are present during all daylight hours and throughout the winter months. Although UVA rays are less intense than UVB rays, they are present all year round and depending upon the time of the year, can be 30 to 50 times more prevalent than UVB rays. Furthermore, UVA radiation can penetrate glass and clouds. Thus, we are exposed to large doses of UVA throughout our lifetime.

New research suggests that UVA exposure may be as damaging to the skin as UVB. Although scientists have known for several years that UVA penetrates more deeply into the skin than UVB, they believed that less of it was absorbed by DNA, causing fewer dangerous mutations. However an Australian-US study shows that UVA causes more genetic damage than UVB in skin cells where most skin cancers arise - the keratinocytes in the basal layer of the epidermis. UVB tends to cause damage in more superficial epidermal layers.

UVB is the middle-range of UV with wavelengths between 290-320 nm. It responsible for burning, tanning, acceleration of skin aging and plays a very key role in the development of skin cancer. The intensity of UVB varies by season, location and time of day. The most significant amount of UVB hits the U.K between 11 AM and 3 PM in the Summer. UVB rays do not penetrate glass.

UVC  is the shortest and highest energy UV with wavelengths less than 290 nm. However, since it is filtered by the ozone, these wavelengths do not reach the earth's surface and do not contribute to skin damage in humans.

While the differences between UVB and UVA need to be explored further, it's proven that exposure to the combination of UVB and UVA is a powerful attack on the skin and eyes. Protection from these rays is the only way to avoid these problems.

The Solution:

Wearing lenses with UV protection helps shield your eyes from ultra-violet radiation. As well as sunglasses, you can also opt for clear lenses which also protect against UV. Some lenses offer a higher level of protection than other, and as I have mentioned already we have been providing this service for a number of years. Significant UV exposure for spectacle wearers also comes from the rear lens surface and this is also protected by a UV filter. So when you next look for a lens choose one which protects from both the front and rear surface of the lens like Crizal UV at Martin Reynolds Opticians.