Most of the time, our eyes and face are considered as the real ‘we’. The handsomeness or beauty of a person is generally determined by the eyes and the face. Hence, the spectacles or the contact lenses that we wear have to be selected with great care. Here is a brief guide to the selection of the right type of eyewear.

Spectacle Frames and Glasses

The spectacle frames play an important part in beautifying or spoiling our facial looks. At the outset, you have to analyse whether you have a round face, a square face or an oval face. The frame has to be selected according to the type of face that you have.

If you are a person with a round face, you must choose a frame that is narrow and angular with high temples. This frame will make your face appear thinner and longer, with eyes that look wider. If your face is a square one, then the frame should be curved and wider so that your face looks longer. If the shape of your face is oval, then wide glasses with walnut or almond shaped frames are the best for you. Oblong faces will look best with round frames with decorative temples.

Frames are made from several types of materials like stainless steel, plastic composite, titanium, etc. Similarly, the lenses are made from glass or polycarbonate materials with hi-index and anti-glare features. Polycarbonate glasses do not break even if they fall down on the floor. However, the selection of the type of material and shape of the frame, as well as the kind of lenses will depend on your facial structure, your lifestyle preferences and your budget.

Contact Lenses

Even though contact lenses are preferred by people because they do not change the facial appearance, there are other practical benefits in contact lenses. Contact lenses are not affected by rain or fog. They are not steamed up. They provide a much wider field of vision than conventional glass spectacles. Even sporting activities can be undertaken without much risk by wearing contact lenses. Further, certain ophthalmologic conditions like aniseikonia and keratoconus are corrected only by contact lenses.

Contact lenses can be either a vision corrective type or just a cosmetic one that enhances the look or the colour of the eyes. Sometimes, cosmetic lenses can also be corrective ones. Normally, contact lenses are classified as soft lenses and hard lenses. The first hard contact lenses were developed with polymethyl methacrylate or PMMA. However, these lenses did not allow the transmission of oxygen to the cornea, resulting in several adverse side effects. Hence, polymers that are considered to have the oxygen-permeable quality were developed. They are termed as rigid gas permeable lenses or RGP lenses.

Soft lenses were developed recently with hydrogel, silicone hydrogel or polymacon materials. Soft lenses provide immediate comfort to the wearer, whilst hard lenses take some time to adapt to them. These lenses are also classified as daily wear, extended wear and continuous wear. The first type has to be removed in the night before going to sleep. The second type can be worn for 5-6 nights continuously. The third type can be worn for about 30 days also without removing them.

To know more about spectacle frames, glasses and contact lenses, talk to our experts and they will counsel you on the right selection of eyewear that is most suitable to your appearance, taste and budget.