Photochromics or Sunglasses? When It Comes to UV Protection, Patients Should Have Both

Summer is coming and so are the sun’s more powerful UV rays. May is National Skin Cancer Awareness month and a good time to remind patients about the need to protect their eyes and the skin around their eyes with high-quality sunglasses that guard against the invisible threat of UVA and UVB. 

If your practice dispenses photochromic lenses like SunSync^® Light-Reactive Lenses, chances are that you also offer high-quality sunglasses. So, what are the options when it comes to better protection from UV rays? Patients using light-reactive lenses as their primary pair of glasses should consider having a good pair of polarized sunglasses to act as a secondary pair.

Light-Reactive Lenses for Clarity, Comfort, Convenience, and Confidence

Light-reactive lenses turn dark when exposed to UV light and go back to clear when the wearer goes indoors. Because clouds only offer a slight reduction in UV light rays, photochromics tint even when the sun is hiding. SunSync Elite offers a better patient experience, with faster activation and deactivation and excellent visual clarity indoors and outdoors. There are many benefits to adding light-reactive enhancements to a patient’s primary pair that we call the four Cs.

1. Clarity: Since primary pair lenses tend to have lower curvature, they often provide better visual clarity, and new technologies have helped solve old complaints, such as slow fade-back speeds. SunSync Elite lenses fade back to clear 2Xs faster than the competition^1,2, so clarity indoors is experienced in under one minute.
2. Comfort: A patient’s primary pair of glasses tends to be the best fitting; the pair they wear all day and not think about. So, it just makes sense to have a light-reactive lens in the primary pair for the comfort of having UV protection when you need it.
3. Convenience: Fans of light-reactive lenses, especially those with occupations that frequently take them outdoors, enjoy the convenience of not having to switch glasses or hunt down a missing pair when going from indoors to outside.
4. Confidence: Adding a photochromic enhancement to the primary pair means your patient can be more confident that their eyes, eyelids, and skin around the eyes are better protected from harmful UV rays. SunSync Elite Light-Reactive Lenses offer 100% protection from UVA and UVB, and because they clear up quickly rather than linger in that awkward, half-tinted phase, patients can feel more confident in their appearance.

Who Are the Best Candidates for Photochromics?

Everyone can benefit from a lens that shields from UV, but photochromics are particularly beneficial for patients with active outdoor lifestyles. This is also true for children that have a life of UV exposure ahead of them and are constantly going from indoors to outdoors. Another benefit of light-reactive lenses is blue light reduction. Many people associate blue light exposure with digital devices.  However, sunlight is the largest source of blue light. In the darkened state outdoors, these lenses deliver exceptional filtration of blue light from the sun. Indoors, the lenses return to clear and reduce exposure to blue light from computers, TVs and smartphones.

Sunglasses: The Indispensable Understudy 

Photochromics offer patients many visual benefits, but it’s important to emphasize why polarized sunglasses that reduce light glare are recommended. As with many things we purchase, price versus performance will vary. A quality polarization filter can block out nearly all glare and can make images appear more clear. Many oversized or wrap-around sunglasses offer excellent UV protection for the skin around the eyes. Plus, there are situations when a light-reactive lens is not necessarily the better choice:

1. Driving: Front vehicle windshields block most of UVA and UVB rays³ and limit how dark light-reactive lenses will get. An exception to this is Sun Sync Drive XT which is one of the few photochromics that retains a tint behind the wheel. 
2. Extreme temperatures: In areas where there is concentrated exposure to extreme temperatures, prescription sunglasses or polarized sunglasses may be a better option. Photochromic lenses are affected by extremely hot and cold temperatures. To learn why, read our blog on this subject.
3. Glare Reduction: Polarized lenses are ideal for sports like boating, fishing, and skiing because of the glare off the water and snow. Golfers often prefer polarized sunglasses because of the enhanced visual acuity and contrast that can make seeing the ball on fairways and greens easier.

Light-Reactive Lenses and Sunglasses Keep Patients Covered

Light-reactive lenses and sunglasses are the perfect couple. Together, they better protect your eyes and the area surrounding your eyes from harmful UV rays that can cause serious health effects like skin cancer. So, as we acknowledge National Skin Cancer Awareness month, pass along to patients the benefits of having both. 

Read more about how to protect your eyes from skin cancer.

1. t½F of SunSync Elite in polycarbonate is 51 seconds at 73.4°.
2. In independent testing, SunSync Elite fades from fully activated to 56 %T in 40 seconds compared to 54.5 %T in 120 seconds for Transitions^® Signature^® Gen 8™. Testing conducted in Polycarbonate to ISO 8980-3 standard.
3.University of Utah, Health