In case you missed the memo, the sun shines all year! You heard right, all year long. This means that those damaging UV rays we often become comfortable with, are also creeping in during the colder months. While we often bundle up to keep us warm during hibernation season, our eyes are still directly under the sun’s scrutiny.
To show you how vital it is to protect your eyes year round, we’re listing out the top 5 reasons to keep shades on throughout the year.
1) Cold weather doesn’t leave your eyes safe from UV radiation, snow can actually double your exposure.
In certain parts of the U.S., the winter months skew lower UV levels. Although this doesn’t mean we are exempt from harmful rays, because highly reflective surfaces like water and snow can actually increase exposure. Snow in particular can almost double your exposure!
2) Sun burn on your eyes IS possible. Ouch!
Skin isn’t the only thing susceptible to damage from the sun. Eye sunburn will leave a painful and not so pretty mark on your face. Even if you think you’re in the clear from it, sun exposure over time can accumulate to much worse – cataracts & macular degeneration to name a few.
3) Who likes the effects of aging anyway? Squinting your eyes excessively (the result of no shades!) can ultimately lead to more wrinkles.
Constant squinting can cause the delicate skin around your eyes to wrinkle and create fine lines. You can simply avoid this by treating your eyes to a good pair of shades. Polarized shades give an added benefit by reducing the glare that bounces off of water, the road, and other reflective surfaces. Once you start wearing polarized shades, your eyes will feel like they are on a permanent vacation. Some great polarized brands to try include Hobie Polarized, Kaenon, & Maui Jim.
4) Going blind at 60 just won’t work.
You can lower your risk of Macular degeneration (it’s as scary as it sounds) by wearing shades with 100% UVA/UVB protection.
5) Protect not just your eyeballs, but your lids as well.
Choose a pair of sunglasses that wrap closer to your face. This will ensure less rays passing through the top and sides of your sunglasses and allows for better protection of both your eyes & lids. Believe it or not, eye lids are just as important to protect as your eyes because they are unfortunately susceptible to skin cancer and other diseases.
Take these reasons with you when thinking about sun protection ~ Don’t ever underestimate the power of a good sunglass.
Images | flickr
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