Effective Sunglass Protection: Understanding Visible Light & Ultraviolet
Some of us are aware of the sun’s ultraviolet rays & that they are capable of damaging our skin & could lead to sunburn, possibly even skin cancer. That’s why we apply sunscreen to protect our bodies from harmful rays. Even though it’s often referred to as UV light, it’s relatively misleading, as UV is invisible to the human eye.
Just as skin is at risk of harmful UV radiation, the eyes are also subjected to potential damage from exposure to UV. This is one of the most important reasons that we wear sunglasses!
As there’s ‘visible light’ & ‘infrared light’ – they should not be confused for UV.
Each of them occupies different ranges on the electromagnetic spectrum & has differing frequencies & energies.
UV & infrared are unable to be observed by the human eye, yet they both affect our bodies, but in very different ways. While Infrared warms the body, it does not burn the skin or damage the corneas.
On the other hand, although UV doesn’t warm the body, it can cause sunburn. It all boils down to the energy & frequency of the waves. The higher the frequency, the greater level of energy & potential to cause harm.
When it comes to sunglasses, we often hear the term ‘visible light transmission’ or ‘VLT’. This pertains only to visible light that can be detected by the human eye, which lies in the 400-700 nanometer range. If you live in
a bright, sunny environment – you’ll want lenses with lower VLT rate but if you live in a cloudy area, it’s worth considering lenses with a higher VLT rate.
Thankfully, there’s an established standard for ranking lenses according to their VLT rate shown below:
Shop our certified UV400 collections today! Keep your eyes safe, no matter which pair of Sunnies you choose.
