Pacific Northwest
Building Your Lenses
When building a house, the builder starts with a design that determines the function of the home, then selects the building materials best suited for the location, and then completes the home with paint, sealant and a roof, to protect the structure.
Just like a house, your new lenses will be "built" using a lens design and material based on your visual needs, all protected with a lens treatment. By understanding your choices you can make the best decision for your new eyewear. Together, you and your eye care professional will select the perfect combination of these three components to create the best vision for you and your lifestyle.
Lens Designs: Most of the time, your prescription will determine the lens design - single vision, bifocal, trifocal. You can also opt for progressive addition lenses instead of bifocals. These lenses provide distance, reading and intermediate vision without a bifocal line. Progressive addition lenses come in a variety of designs making it easy to find a lens that meets your visual needs. How you use your glasses will determine which design is best for you. You may even need two pairs of glasses with different designs for different activities such as working on a computer.
Lens Materials: Choices include glass, plastic and high-index. Plastic and glass lenses are similar in optical quality and both must meet minimum federal impact-resistant standards. Nearly 90 percent of eyeglass wearers today choose some type of plastic for their lenses, as plastic lenses are generally tougher and lighter than glass. A special material called polycarbonate is the most impact-resistant lens available. Polycarbonate is recommended for children and those with an active lifestyle. High-index lenses come in both glass and plastic, and include polycarbonate. These lenses are lighter and thinner at the edges than regular glass or plastic. High-index lenses are recommended for a professional appearance, and higher-strength prescription.
Lens Treatments: Scratch-resistant coatings are a good choice for all plastic and polycarbonate lenses. Kaiser Permanente includes a scratch-resistant coating on all lenses. An ultra violet (UV) coating is recommended on all plastic lenses. Polycarbonate and high-index lenses already provide UV protection. Anti-reflective (AR) coatings reduce reflections on the lenses helping you to see more clearly and improve night vision. For more information on AR see the related article. Photochromic lenses change from virtually clear indoors to sunglass dark outdoors. Photochromic lenses also come in gray and brown, and are available in most lens design and material.