At Ridgefield Vision Center, every day is Sunglasses Day. However, the Vision Council has proclaimed June 27 as National Sunglasses Day, a reminder of how important it is to wear UV-protective eyewear. We think protecting your eyesight is so important that we’re extending the celebration all week.

Did you know it takes just 15 minutes of ultraviolet (UV) sun exposure to potentially start damaging the health of your eyes?

You might consider sunglasses to be fashionable, functional or even festive, but above all, please consider them to be critically important for protecting the health of your eyes. UVA and UVB protection should be the most important consideration in choosing a pair of sunglasses. It’s important to wear your sunglasses every day to protect the long-term health of your eyes.

But what about cheap sunglasses – you know, that fun pair you bought at the drugstore for $14.99 along with the sunscreen when you went to the beach? Some cheap sunglasses have lenses that are even darker than a high-end pair of shades, so that’s got to be better for your eyes, right? Wrong. All sunglasses are not created equal.

UV protection has nothing to do with the darkness or color of a lens even though, according to The Vision Council, 42 percent of people surveyed believe it does. Dark lenses without adequate UV protection can actually be worse than wearing no sunglasses at all because they cause the eye’s pupil to dilate, letting more light into the eye, which then increases retinal exposure to damaging unfiltered UV rays. Don’t cheap-out when it comes to the long-term health of your eyes!

While Americans are well-versed in the dangers of UV-ray damage to their skin, most don’t know that long-term UV damage to the eye is a primary cause of cataracts, age-related macular degeneration, sunburnt eyes (yes, your eyes can get sunburnt) and even skin cancers near the eyes and on the eyelids, where the Skin Cancer Foundation reports that 10% of skin cancers form.

And please don’t forget about your kids: children receive nearly three times the annual dose of UV rays that adults do, which can cause serious eye problems as they age. By providing your children with a quality pair of UV protective sunglasses and setting a good example by wearing your sunglasses every time you go outside, you are giving them the gift of good eye health when they’re grown.

To celebrate National Sunglasses Week and help ensure that your eyes are protected from damaging UV rays, our optical department is offering 50% off select frames and lenses – including prescription lenses – from Armani, Coach, Calvin Klein, Kenneth Cole, Guess, Juicy Couture and Gant, and 30% off many other high-quality, UV-protective sunglasses and lenses this Wednesday through Friday, June 29, 30 and July 1. Some exclusions apply. Visit us at Ridgefield Vision Center where Mike, Amber, Megan and Nicole will help you find the perfect pair of high-quality, UV-protective sunglasses that look great and protect your eyes from long-term damage by the sun.
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For 19 years, our optometry team at Ridgefield Vision Center has provided conscientious, personable vision care for adults and children in Richmond’s far West End, near Godwin High School and Short Pump Mall. We make going to the eye doctor a positive experience. Whether you need eyeglasses, sunglasses or contact lenses, we offer the highest quality products to ensure the health of your eyes so that you enjoy good vision in every season of life. We’ll continue to provide you with valuable information about the human eye and to provide the highest level of professional eye care for our patients’ vision health. Call us at 804-741-1204 and schedule your next appointment today!