I’m trying to eliminate all possible contributors to my recent increase in migraines. Yesterday, I had my first eye exam in 25 years or so. I’m getting glasses – a pretty mild prescription, but one eye is a little farsighted while the other is a little nearsighted. I have vision insurance, though I have to go look up how much they’ll cover for the frames and whether it makes a difference which ones I pick out.
I started trying to pick out frames after my appointment yesterday but what with the effects of the wacky eyedrops and it getting late, I said I’d come back today instead.
While I was still looking, the nice frames lady gave me some flattering ones to try – she was better at picking good ones than I turned out to be. It was obvious that the current fashion is for blocky rectangular frames, long skinny oblongs, all sharp angles, which I don’t much care for, and the frames lady respected that and gave me more oval-y ones.
Anybody have any advice about frames, lenses, coatings, all that crap? Or even about fashions and colors and how to flatter your face? I’ll probably be wearing these glasses several hours a day, though not all the time.
Titanium is expensive, but worth it, if you’re going for a wire frame, because it won’t bend out of shape as easily as steel, it’s hypoallergenic, and much lighter.
If you can find a plastic frame you like, and your face is perfectly even*, git it - you’ll save yourself a lot of glancing in the mirror in the morning and wondering if your glasses are uneven for some reason.
I got my first pair of glasses when I was 12. The eye doctor stressed that I should wear them only for distance viewing (i.e. the blackboard in school). Putting them on was a revelation. I could see the individual branches on the tress on the top of the hill! I wore them all the time. My two sisters, mother, and father wore glasses, so I figured it was ‘destiny’. Maybe it wasn’t such a great idea wearing them all the time.
I’m not much help with the coatings. I get new glasses maybe once every 4-5 years. I opt for whatever they can do to make the glasses as light as possible so I’m not always fussing with them. The one thing I can heartily recommend is titanium frames. The frames I used to get would get all gunky and the plating would eventually rot. These ti frames I have now are as clean and trouble-free as the day I bought them 6 years ago. As you may guess all this adds up to an expensive pair of glasses, even with insurance. Probably overkill if you’re just wearing them a few hours a day.
Another thing I do is as soon I get a new prescription I go and get prescription sunglasses (usually Ray-Bans).
The lenses that darken in sunlight are pretty much worthless in my opinion. I never thought they got dark enough to be useful and they seemed to react badly to some kinds of florescent lighting. I noticed odd color changes through the lenses in bright reds and yellows. If you need sunglasses then buy prescription sunglasses in addition to your regular one.
Damn. This is the one add-on that would make sense for me. Is it always tint-imparting? Do you have a choice of purple or green or is it luck of the draw?
Depends on the manufacturer. It doesn’t impart a tint; it makes reflections appear purple or green tinted. Stuff you look at through the lenses will still be “neutral”.
Hopefully, anti-reflective coatings have changed over the past ten years. I had it and it was a disaster. I was working odd jobs at the time and they got dirty a lot. Uh oh, I need a special cleaner, which I didn’t always have on me, and regular dirt could scratch it very easily. A few months later, the lenses are noticeable white. So, I got the same prescription without the coating.
As for frames, it depends on your activities. I used to have the plastic frames. However, as my lenses got heavier, they’re added weight made my ears hurt. Also, at the time, they didn’t have spring hinges. Currently, I wire-frames with those special thins lenses (my prescription isn’t cheap) and spring hinges.
One more piece of advice, you might want to ask an eyeglass repair place. Most optometrists and eyeglass places don’t do repair such as broken hinges or legs. They’ll send it out to a lab, the same as they would for a broken lens, which could several days. However, repair stores do exist, you just have to ask about them.
Just got back from the lab. Turns out I had few options because of the oddness of my prescription – one plus eye and one minus eye; no rimless frames for me. I had a great rimless pair all picked out when the saleslady broke this news. I ended up getting Rx lenses set into a pair of semi-wrap Bolle sunglasses frames that I already had – they fit my head much better than any of the rim styles they had in the store. I could only have had anti-glare coating, not integral anti-glare lenses, and it would cost $160 extra and be prone to scratching like **Jormungandr **described. The saleslady actually said it’s a lousy option!
I’ve had progressive lenses for several years now and hate them. I’m looking forward to my eyesight deteriorating so that I have an excuse to go back to straight bifocals. I feel like I’m constantly trying to focus, especially when driving.
FWIW, I’m going to offer the idea of contacts, which since you said you’re not going to be wearing glasses all the time, it may not be an option. It also depends on your lifestyle.
I never needed glasses until I was an adult. I tried glasses for two years, but they were constantly in my way while playing sports or working on things (especially if I was doing something sweaty like working outside in summer or in a position other than standing or sitting). Also wearing safety glasses and sunglasses are a major pain because you either need the big honking ones that cover everything, or prescription ones (either expensive or ugly).
I am fortunate enough that I can cheaply wear contacts. I could not be happier with them. The care is easy and comes as a habit for me during my morning and evening routines.
Can you elaborate?
I had a great rimless pair all picked out when the saleslady broke this news. I ended up getting Rx lenses set into a pair of 