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Frames in February

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Frames in February: A Guide to loving your glasses

 

Who said Valentine’s Day was a day to show love to your partner and/or friends? While sharing the love is great, it’s also just as important to express love for yourself, and Valentine’s Day can be the perfect time to remind yourself to do it, especially in the dreary and cold month of February where every little bit helps.

Sure, you could treat yourself to a 6-course meal or a trip to the spa, but why not do something more lasting. We’re speaking of course of upgrading your frames! If it’s been a while, now could be the time to come in for that eye exam and get a new pair of frames that screams you. Yet, we find that many clients don’t feel confident when choosing frames. They’re overwhelmed by options as well as the inability to know what looks best on them.

As they say, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but we’re here to give you some basics to choosing frames that fit you the best!

Find the Fit Between Your Personality & Lifestyle

Frames are just about geometry. Sure, they should fit your face well, but they should also embody a certain you-ness while being appropriate for your regular day-to-day.

Are you fond of flare? Maybe you’re more of an inward kind of person. Furthermore, what do you want to say through your glasses? These are the kinds of personality questions you should be asking yourself, and the answers you arrive at will go a long way toward informing your frame choice.

Yet, it’s important to find a balance between personality and lifestyle. Are you sporty? A book worm? Maybe you read spreadsheets on the weekday and climb mountains on Saturday. In any case, buy frames made of a material that will withstand your lifestyle. If you live an eclectic life, then consider 2 or more pairs of frames to fit the various sides of you!

 

Match the Beautiful Contours of Your Face

Not all faces are the same! That would be boring. It makes sense then that there is no one size fits all approach to choosing frames. We categorize face shapes in 5 ways, none of which are better than the other—we’re all just different, and that is beautiful! However, we want to emphasize that, like any rule, what we share below can and should be broken! This is just a guide for those of use that are more risk-averse than others.

Oval Face

What to look for:

Geometric shapes (angular frames), strong bridge, broader than the widest part of your face

What to avoid:

Large glasses that cover too much of your face; you want to show off the natural symmetry of your face

Round Face

What to look for:

Square and rectangular frames that are wider than your face. This will elongate your features and balance them out.

 

What to avoid:

Small frames, rimless frames, or any type of eyeglass frame that is diminutive. With a round face shape, bigger and more prominent frames are often better.

Square Face

What to look for:

You might be getting the sense that opposites attract when choosing frames, and you’d be right. Square, angular faces look best with softer, rounder frames that sit high on the bridge of your nose.

 

What to avoid:

Angular lenses (squares and rectangles) can make your face look too box-like.

Diamond Face

What to look for:

Cat-eye glasses or oval frames can accentuate your cheekbones and fine features by emphasizing your narrow forehead and chin. Ensure the frames are wider than your cheekbones.

 

What to avoid:

Frames that are too narrow or boxy can emphasize rather than accentuate your wide cheekbones and overwhelm your delicate features.

Heart-Shaped Face

What to look for:

Bottom-heavy frames can broaden the narrow portion of your face. We also suggest round or square frames with soft edges to de-emphasize a high, broad forehead.

 

What to avoid:

Frames that are ornate or thick at the tops—you want to draw attention lower.

 

Consider Your Skin Tone

We group skin tone into two categories; cool tones and warm tones. Depending on your skin tone, you’ll want to choose certain colors over others.

Cool Skin Tone Colors

Cool skin tones have pink as well as blue undertones (think of the paler people among us). With that said, you want to choose colors that are more deep and dominant in their tone to complement your skin. We suggest gray, black, silver, dark tortoiseshell, pink, purple, and mauve.

Warm Skin Tone Colors

What is a warm skin tone? Think of skin with a golden, yellow, or bronze color to it. While you might think they are universal colors, neither white nor black frames complement your tone. Neither do pastels, which are too diminutive. We suggest colors like beige, olive green, brown, gold, honey, and light tortoiseshell.

Choose Your New Look with Confidence

With this guide, we hope you can come in and make an informed, empowered choice that best suits you! Reach out today to schedule an appointment before Valentine’s Day.

 

Is It Bad to See Floaters? How Much is Too Much?

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They can be easy to ignore. Some of us never see them at all, or never notice them. Yet, once you notice floaters, you can’t help but see them again and again. It’s especially easy to see floaters when looking at a bright, solid-color computer screen. Or, on a cloudless day, take a look at the blue sky; if you have floaters, you’ll see them swimming around! They are those squiggly things that dart past your vision.

With that said, what are floaters? Are they the sign of an eye condition? Are they something to worry about? Let’s talk about floaters, learn about them, and understand what is normal, and when you should schedule an eye appointment.

What Are Floaters?

Before we dive right into floaters, let’s discuss your eye first. The inside of your eye is composed of a gel-like fluid known as the “vitreous”. This soft gel helps to hold together the other vital components of your eyes (cornea, retina, etc.).

Like all gels, the vitreous in your eye will, over time, dry out and shrink. A healthy pair of eyes can withstand this natural regression of the vitreous; there’s plenty of it to go around. However, part of this shrinking process creates “floaters”, which make up the debris of dried-up vitreous. Floaters are totally normal. As they form, they pass in front of your “macula”, which is how you see them. As time goes on, older floaters will settle to the bottom of your vitreous and you will no longer notice them.

Do They Go Away?

Floaters do not go away. Instead, they settle into a part of your vitreous that you cannot detect. Moreover, it’s not uncommon to produce new floaters, so there is a fair chance that you will always notice floaters when you stare at a bright, solid surface.

It might sound strange, but floaters are a natural part of the aging of your eyes. They aren’t anything to worry about unless they become excessive and/or interfere with your vision. It might be reassuring to know that floaters are always there; you just usually don’t notice them in your day-to-day life.

Can You Do Anything About Them?

In most cases, we recommend that you simply come to terms with the idea of floaters and live with them. You shouldn’t notice them all the time. If you’ve suddenly just noticed them, then there might be a period where your focus is drawn to them. However, with time, you’ll more than likely get used to them and stop noticing them as much!

However, in extreme and rare cases, your vitreous could produce more floaters than is normal, and in the case of your vision being disrupted, there are interventions. The least invasive is the use of lasers to “break up” the masses of dried vitreous.

Lastly, a more extreme procedure can be performed called a vitrectomy where a surgeon creates an incision in your eye, removes your vitreous, and replaces it with an artificial substance that mimics it. In most cases, neither procedure is needed.

 

When Should I See an Eye Doctor?

So, you’ve looked at your computer screen and were dismayed to see a bunch of little squiggles darting past your vision. What a shock that must have been. Is there something wrong with your vision?

Probably not! However, if you see floaters all the time and, worse yet, they begin to interfere with your vision, then it’s time to schedule an appointment with us. As we always say; any major change in your vision is worth a visit.

One thing to remember; if you’re suddenly seeing floaters in your vision, that doesn’t mean they haven’t always been there. It might simply be that this is the first time you’ve noticed them. In any case, feel free to schedule a visit and we’ll put your mind at ease.

9 Winter Eye Care Tips to Live By

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Winter can be one of the worst times for your eyes. Why? Because we’re usually cooped up inside our houses or offices that suddenly turn into high heat, low humidity environments. Which our bodies are not accustomed to and don’t particularly enjoy! We thought we’d share some basic eye care tips for the winter, many of which you might not have considered before.

Remember to Blink

Blinking is your body’s natural way of lubricating and cleaning your eyes! As you blink, you distribute your eye’s natural moisture and gently wipe away any dirt or dust that has accumulated on your eyes. As you know, dust loves hot, dry rooms, so it’s more important than ever to blink and give your eyes a rest, especially in the office where you’re tempted to stare at your screen without a break!

Keep the Temperature Mild

As tempting as it is to blast the heat, that hot, dry air will irritate your eyes. We suggest keeping the temperature mild; comfortable but not sweltering. Not only will this make your eyes happy, but it’ll save you some money in the process! What temperature do we suggest? Somewhere in the low 70s, where the classic “room temperature” range lies.

Use a Humidifier

No matter how much or how little you heat your home or office in the winter, you’re guaranteed to suffer from a dry environment no matter what. To put it simply, winter is an incredibly dry season especially in New England. To combat that, we suggest you invest in a good quality humidifier. What this does is introduce moisture into the air, making your eyes and skin happy! Not only that, but more humid air allows heat to travel more efficiently, giving your space a more “comfortable” feeling even at lower temperatures.

“Artificial Tears” Work

Artificial tears are pH-balanced substances that you can put in your eyes to aid their natural lubrication. We suggest a saline-based product with as few ingredients as possible. It’s important to remember that “red-eye” products like Visine will make your dry eyes worse, so make sure you buy a product that is specifically for lubricating your eyes.

Keep the Heat at a Distance

As much as it feels good to cozy up next to your space heater, fireplace, or radiator, we advise that you keep direct heat sources at a distance. That’s because the proximity of that direct heat will wreak havoc on your eyes’ natural lubrication by quickly drying out the surface.

Stay Hydrated

You’re simply not as thirsty in the winter as you are in the summer because you’re not sweating nearly as much, or even exerting yourself as often. However, it’s important to hydrate just as frequently even when you’re not feeling it. A hydrated body means hydrated eyes; it’s that simple!

Continue to Wear Sunglasses

Even with frequent cloud cover and shorter days, the sun is still as harmful to your body as in the summertime. UV-A and UV-B rays will penetrate that cloud cover like it’s nothing and hit your body all the same. Without a good quality pair of sunglasses (make sure they’re rated to block both UV-A and UV-B radiating), that UV radiation will penetrate your eyes causing lasting damage. Think of how prolonged sun exposure affects a person’s skin, now apply that logic to your eyes!

Wear Eye Protection When Skiing, Etc.

The snow is a fun way to enjoy the outdoors, whether it’s skiing, snowboarders, tubing, ice skating, or any other snow sport. However, snow and ice are surprisingly sharp, even as the micro scale! As you play these sports, the spray of snow and ice hitting you in your face can scratch your eyes even if you don’t feel it. That is exactly why pro athletes wear goggles when playing these sports.

Winter is Hard on Your Eyes!

Have we convinced you? Winter is hard on your eyes! It can be a cozy time of curling up with a book or a time for adventuring through the ice or snow. Either way, it’s hard to escape the effects this season has on your eye health. However, if you follow our advice you should be just fine.

Of course, if you’re suffering from any change in your eyesight (even subtle changes), or feel like your eyes are excessively dry, then give us a call and schedule an appointment as soon as you can.

What are eye exams for?

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Here is why you need an eye exam every single year

Your eyes are “fine”, right? We get it; no one wants to go searching for problems. For many of us, if our vision seems to be okay and we feel our lens prescription is still holding, then we can easily convince ourselves that we can skip the annual eye exam.

However, we’d like to dispel that way of thinking. There are a few reasons why it’s important to have your eyes checked every year.

Do it for the Children!

Myopia, otherwise known as “nearsightedness” is an incredibly common vision problem that can have lasting effects on your child’s education. It can be as simple as not being able to see the chalkboard!

However, unchecked myopia can cause significant eye strain, which over decades causes more serious issues like glaucoma, cataracts, or retinal detachment. To put it simply, if you live your life with undiagnosed Myopia, then you’re making it many times harder to see the simple things you see every single day. The harder your eyes continue to work, the higher rate of vision failure down the road.

Vision Screenings Aren’t Comprehensive

Indeed, children (and adults, think of the vision test needed for a driver’s license) can undergo occasional vision screenings that check the quality of their vision. While it might be tempting to consider this “good enough” when it comes to understanding your eye health, it actually does very little investigative work.

For one thing, a vision screening can be easily passed by someone who tries hard to circumvent it. Letters can be discerned and guessed even when vision is bad, meaning a vision test doesn’t even always accurately test vision! Beyond that, a screening does absolutely nothing to detect actual eye diseases or complications. Only an eye exam will ensure your vision and eyes are healthy.

Your Eyes Are the Window to Your Soul

Okay, maybe that sounds a little bit dramatic but there is some truth to it. When we check your vision, we’re not just gaining insight into the health of your eyes, we can also see the symptoms of other life-threatening conditions that affect the rest of your body.

The blood vessels in your eyes can tell us if you’re developing problems like diabetes and hypertension, for instance. Diabetics can even develop something we call “diabetic eye”, which is a condition caused by diabetes that causes blindness!

Glaucoma; the Unseen Threat to Your Vision

When we think of glaucoma it’s easy to picture an octogenarian with those oversized sunglasses. While it’s true that glaucoma is a condition that worsens with age, it’s also a condition that can occur in anyone and at a much younger age than you’d think.

While you might be developing glaucoma, you won’t know it at first. Glaucoma, as a condition, can take some time to develop physical symptoms. It simply sits, waiting for the day to show itself. By then, you’re already in an advanced stage of the illness. While glaucoma doesn’t show its hand very easily, we can quickly spot its development in an eye exam. When your eyes are examined annually, then you can rest easy knowing that glaucoma isn’t waiting in ambush.

Annual Eye Exams Are a Great Insurance & An Even Better Assurance

Eye exams are an investment in your lifetime eye health. They’re also an assurance that everything’s working the way it should. It’s easy to assume that, if your vision seems fine, then there is probably nothing wrong. We’re here to say that that isn’t exactly true, and we’re waiting for your call to schedule an exam!

Working from Home & Why Your Eyes Are Suffering

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It’s true; the paradigm has shifted when it comes to office work. Many of us are still working from home thanks to the pandemic. Many companies have simply opted to make office work optional for the foreseeable future, which means we are seeing an unparalleled amount of people that work out of their home office compared to just a year and a half ago.

You do you! Working from home can be great. However, we’ve seen a distressing increase in the number of vision problems since March 2020, all of which we can guess has to do with the changes in the way we’re working.

At-Home Work Means Way More Screen Time

It sounds counter-intuitive; you would think without oversight from a manager or supervisor you’d be spending less time at your desk. After all, you have the freedom to work exactly how you want to work when you’re in your own home.

However, think about the myriad of distractions that commonly occur when you’re in the office. Talking to a coworker, going to the water cooler, using the restroom, taking a lunch break, or a short walk; are all little moments away from your screen that adds up throughout the day.

Many at-home workers are finding themselves, even in their leisure time, staring at their computer or phone screen. This amount of screen time adds up and can be exponentially greater than the screen time you accrue in the office. Is the picture starting to become clearer?

Cramped Space Puts a Strain on Your Eyes

Say what you want about the cubicle. However, one thing it has going for it is that it’s generally an ergonomic setup. Office space has access to the sort of setup that many of us don’t have access to at home, like full-size desks, monitor stands, and comfortable computer chairs.

When you’re at home it’s tempting to make do with what you have. For many of us, that’s an ill-fitting chair on a low-standing desk with our eyes trained on a tiny laptop screen. These kinds of improvised office spaces put a strain on not just our bodies but our eyes.

Remote Workers Can Suffer from “Computer Vision Syndrome”

As the length of our screen time increases and the quality of that time decreases, we see what we call “computer vision syndrome” emerge. Patients with this vision problem report frequent, persistent headaches, blurred vision, and a general inability to focus.

Why is that? When we focus for too long on a small (or even a large screen, in many cases) we find that our eye muscles have less to do. You’re no longer using your eyes as they were designed; to scan the horizon, focusing on points in the background, midground, and foreground. Instead, they are stuck staring in the midground at a point in front of you that is as large as your laptop or monitor. Your eye muscles, like any muscle in your body, weaken with disuse, hence the predicament we find many patients in who report computer vision syndrome.

What You Can Do

 

First and foremost, if you have any change in your vision, even if it’s something that you would consider minor, see us immediately for a consultation. Even small changes to your vision can be symptoms of larger problems.

What you can do to lessen the eye strain from at-home work is to emulate your office as much as possible. Here are a few of our suggestions:

  • Forego the 64oz water thermos and get a smaller water bottle so you force yourself to take frequent trips to fill it
  • Install a phone or computer app that reminds you to take frequent, intentional breaks away from your screens
  • Try to schedule meetings with coworkers in-person; you can always do socially distanced walking meetings to get a breath of fresh air
  • Invest in a good quality office set up that allows you to stay at a comfortable distance from your computer screen

Working from home is great freedom. All we ask is that you don’t put inadvertent stress on your eyes in the process. If you have any concerns about your vision, please give us a call.

Let’s Dispel the Myths of LASIK Eye Surgery

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LASIK, otherwise known as Laser-Assisted In Situ Keratomileusis (say that 5 times fast, or just try saying it once!), is an eye procedure that has been around since 1999 when it was approved by the FDA. In true 90s fashion, it brought with it a bunch of hearsay in the form of myths and rumors.

The fact is, much of what you might assume about LASIK has never been true. Furthermore, a lot of the limitations of LASIK in the early aughts are simply not true anymore; the procedure has become more sophisticated as our tools and technology improve. We thought we’d highlight some of the most persistent myths surrounding LASIK and explain why they’re wrong.

LASIK is so cutting-edge that we don’t know its long-term effects

The LASIK procedure has been around since 1999. However, 1999 is when the FDA approved the feature. It was developed before then, tested, understood, and added to the echelons of viable eye surgeries only after the stringent standards upheld by the FDA confirmed that the procedure was not just successful but completely safe.

We now have over 22 years of data to attest to LASIK’s efficacy as an eye procedure. Those early LASIK patients are still enjoying improved eyesight to this day.

I’m too old to get LASIK

This statement has never been true about LASIK. There has never been a maximum age limit for the LASIK procedure. The only restriction is a minimum age of 18 because your eyes still haven’t stopped developing, which means age-related vision degeneration hasn’t yet slowed or halted.

Although, many eye doctors will recommend that you get LASIK sooner rather than later. As you age, you have a higher risk of developing other age-related eye conditions that could make you ineligible for LASIK. Do you want our advice? If you’re over the age of 18 and suffer from poor vision, then request a LASIK consultation. Why waste those years?

LASIK is painful

The beautiful thing about LASIK is its relative painlessness. At most, our patients report pressure on their eyes. Furthermore, numbing drops are applied to your eyes before the procedure. Not only is LASIK pain-free, but it’s also probably a much faster procedure than you think!

My vision problem isn’t compatible with LASIK

This is one of the only LASIK rumors that had some veracity to it back in the day when the tools we used weren’t as robust. A person in 1999 suffering from farsightedness would have been ineligible for the surgery.

Today? Nearsighted, farsighted, and even astigmatic patients can all get the surgery and regain their vision! If you’re not sure of what you have, just schedule a visit and we’ll perform an exam and discuss your options.

Vision fixed with LASIK doesn’t last

This is a doozy; it seems like most of our patients carry this assumption even if they’ve opted for the surgery. For some reason, the general public seems to think LASIK is a temporary correction of your vision.

The truth is, LASIK is meant to be a permanent fix. Your vision should not fade. At most, you could eventually suffer from age-related vision problems, which LASIK cannot correct in the first place. Plus, age-related vision is inevitable, so don’t let it make you hesitate when considering LASIK.

LASIK Surgery is Too Good & True

We think that many of the most pervasive LASIK rumors come out of the common thinking that something is too good to be true. How can a laser effortlessly, painlessly, and quickly “fix” your eyes so you no longer have to rely on contacts or glasses?

LASIK is simply the evolution of the science behind protecting and correcting our vision. It’s both too good and true.

If we’ve assuaged your fears at all, then feel free to schedule a LASIK consultation today.

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