Top reasons why you should wear sunglasses – starting from a young age

19th June 2019

There are many reasons why you should wear sunglasses from a young age. Read our top 5 reasons you should make sure you are wearing sunglasses.

1. Sun-related eye damage occurs in the early ages of childhood, particularly between the ages of 3 to 12 years old. UV damage is cumulative and irreversible so it’s very important to protect children’s eyes as early as possible.
2. 90 percent of all skin cancers occur above the neck and up to 10 percent of all skin cancers occur on the eyelids. Wearing sunglasses with 100% protection from UVR will not only protect your eyes but also the skin around them.
3. Cataracts – a clouding of the lens in the eye that reduces vision – are a common ailment, particularly as people age. Cataract surgery is the most common operation carried out by the National Health Service with 400,000 such operations every year. Wearing sunglasses, especially from a young age, will limit the progression of this ailment that can ultimately lead to blindness.
4. In the UK alone about 70,000 new cases of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) are reported every year. AMD causes progressive deterioration of the central area of the retina and according to the RNIB, the British charity for the blind, it’s by far the leading cause of blindness in adults in the UK. The simple precaution of wearing sunglasses with a UV filter will help prevent AMD later in life.
5. Improve your looks. Research carried by Vanessa Brown, a senior lecturer at Nottingham Trent University concluded that sunglasses really do improve your looks because they make your face appear more symmetrical and symmetry is linked to attractiveness.