On September 19, 2024, VSP® Vision announced the New Unity Rewards program. Learn more >
Blog > Education > Outdoors, Indoors? Both! Three Occupations, One Light-Reactive Lens
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you are sitting at a desk inside an office or at home on a tablet or laptop. However, many patients who walk into your practice have jobs that require them to go from inside to outside frequently or even constantly. SunSync® Elite Light-Reactive lenses (photochromics) are ideal for these workers because they don’t have to switch from eyeglasses to prescription sunglasses dozens or more times a day. We talked to some folks in the southern California area who wear light-reactive lenses, and we were not surprised by how much they depend on them to make their busy workdays a little easier.
Employment of home health and personal care aides is projected to grow 22 percent by 2032, much faster than the average for all occupations.1 Home health care workers are a vital part of helping aging patients to get to the doctor, hair salon or just to enjoy a nice lunch. This means going from inside to outside several times a day and being mindful of keeping their patients safe.
“My photochromic lenses are vital to being able to do my job caring for elderly patients who are fall risks. I often have to lift them in and out of the car and cannot take my eyes off of them for a second. If I had to switch to prescription sunglasses every time I walked outside, it would not only be an inconvenience, but it could also be dangerous for my patients.”
--Bambi S., Home Health Care Worker, San Diego, CA
Working as a car salesperson requires a lot of motion from inside the office to outside on the car lot. SunSync Elite goes from dark to clear in under a minute2 so a sales associate can quickly go from the car lot back into the office to ink a deal without the awkward half tint typical of other photochromics that linger for minutes.
“On an average day, I go from the car lot to the office at least 20 times a day. I can’t imagine having to carry a second pair of prescription sunglasses and switching to them every time I go outside. Having self-tinting lenses saves me time and gives me a professional appearance in front of customers who are about to spend a lot of money on a new car. I want my customers to be able to look into my eyes when we go inside and having a lens that goes back to clear fast is really important.”
Freddy V., Sales, Honda Dealership, Torrance CA
Inside and outside dinning is now commonplace at restaurants, especially in warmer climates. This means taking orders outside, going back inside to input the order and then bringing food and drinks back outside.
“Our outdoor patio is shaded in some spots and super sunny in others. Inside our restaurant is dark as it can be. My eyes are really sensitive to bright light, and I want to protect my eyes from the sun but also need to see clearly indoors. Self-tinting lenses are so important because I cannot switch glasses and do my job efficiently without them.”
Lucille C., Winery/Restaurant Server, Ojai, CA
Construction, teachers, plumbers, car sales, we could add dozens of professions that will benefit from light-reactive lenses, but there are other advantages to these patients as well.
Most wearers of light-reactive lenses don’t think about the technology designed into their lenses or even know the term photochromic at all. They may know as much as "they get dark outside." What they may not know is ALL of the benefits they provide. These types of jobs not only expose workers to the sun’s UV rays but also blue light from tablets and computer screens. SunSync lenses provide 100% UV protection, much like sunglasses and provide "always on" or dynamic blue light defense. This means adaptive or changing blue light defense: indoors in its inactive state and even more blue light defense outdoors when the lenses are activated by the sun.
There are many compelling reasons to dispense light-reactive lenses for indoor-outdoor professions, but the biggest hurdles typically come back to fade-back speed and darkness. SunSync Elite fades back to clear faster than the most recent offering from our primary competitor3 and has a darker outdoor color for extra comfort. Both SunSync Elite and SunSync Drive XT, the photochromic that retains a tint behind the wheel, are available on CR-39 Polycarbonate, Trivex 1.67, and High-index lenses and can be added to any frame imaginable including safety glasses.
Remember that, regardless of the brand, photochromic lenses are influenced by temperature, UV exposure and lens material so be sure to set realistic expectations. For patients with occupations that take them inside and outside, SunSync Light-Reactive Lenses can protect their eyes and make an often-difficult job just a little easier. They’ll thank you for it later.
Free resources are available to help you on your dispensing journey. The SunSync Lifestyle Questionnaire illustrates the type of questions to ask patients considering a light-reactive lens, and the SunSync Dispensing Tips sheet includes benefits to patients and suggestions for opticians. Be sure to also watch the SunSync Light-Reactive Spotlight on UUniversity™. For the ultimate visual solution for patients, check out the Unity Elite Suite™.
Request an in-person demo from your ophthalmic business consultant.
1. Bureau of Labor Statistics
2. In independent testing, SunSync Elite fades from fully activated to 31.6 %T in 60 seconds compared to
3. SunSync Elite fades back to 1/2 T in 53 seconds (59.1% light transmission) vs. Transitions GEN S: ½ T in 75 seconds (53.7% light transmission)