It’s no secret that wearing sunglasses is important to protect your eyes from the sun and its harmful ultraviolet waves. But here‘s something you may not know… not all eyes are created equal. There are several reasons why someone might experience higher levels of sensitivity to the sun’s rays, including the person’s age and even eye color. It’s been scientifically proven that people with light-colored eyes like hazel, green, or blue in color are at a higher risk of sun damage as well as various eye diseases linked to UV exposure.

What is UV Damage?

Ultraviolet radiation most commonly comes from the sun, tanning beds, welding machines, and lasers. Now while some of these may be easier to avoid than others, it’s important to remember that too much exposure to UV radiation can have damaging effects in both the short-term and long-term. In the short term, this may look like getting a sunburn while spending a day at the beach. In the long term though, this could look like increased wrinkles or sunspots. UV damage is not limited to having negative effects on only your skin though, your eyes are at risk too. Extended periods of time where you’re exposed to UV light can cause irreversible damage to your eyes and lead to macular degeneration and cataracts. People who are frequently exposed to UV radiation are also at a greater risk of developing rare eye cancers such as iris and uveal melanoma.

How does eye color work?

Eye color is determined by a person’s genetics and most of the genes that are associated with eye color are involved in the production, transportation, or storage of a pigment called melanin. Melanin is a pigment that gives color to your eyes, hair, and skin. Your eyes use melanin to naturally protect them from the Sun’s harmful rays. So, when you think of a person’s eye color, remember it’s related to the quality and amount of melanin in the iris.

Eye color & Sensitivity to Light

People who have brown eyes have a large amount of melanin in the iris, while people with hazel eyes have less of this pigment. It’s found that individuals with blue eyes have the least amount of melanin in the iris, making those with lighter eye colors much more likely to experience sensitivity to the sun because they have less melanin to protect their eyes. Those with lighter eye colors also have an increased risk of macular degeneration, which is an eye disease that causes vision loss. For those who have darker-colored eyes, their eyes can often handle high glare lights better than those who have lighter-colored eyes. Despite the higher tolerance some eye colors have to the sun or other light forms, sunglasses are still necessary for protecting your eyes from the Sun’s harmful UV rays.

How to Protect Your Eyes from the Sun

No matter what color your eyes are, the key fact to remember here is that they need to be protected. Here at Fuse Lenses, we highly encourage wearing sunglasses year-round and even in overcast or cloudy weather. Here are some of our other recommendations:

1. Choose wraparound frames when possible

This style of sunglasses offers the most protection for your eyes because UV light can bounce around and reach your eyes from the side, but with wraparound sunglasses, your eyes are protected from the sun’s rays coming from all directions. If you can’t get your hands on a wraparound style, it’s important to remember that the size of your sunglasses relates to how much eye protection you’ll be getting. We recommend our Anclote sunglasses, they have a secure yet flexible fit, a rubber nose grip to keep them in place on your face and they offer the wraparound feature so that your eyes are protected from the sun at all angles!

2. Always wear sunglasses with 100% UV radiation protection

When it comes to 100% UV protection sunglasses, their standard rating is called ‘UV400’ which means your eyes are 99-100% protected from the sun’s harmful rays while wearing them, not to mention they can block out both UV-A and UV-B rays, making them the ultimate protector for your eyes. So as much as the style of sunglasses may be a factor in which ones you choose, make sure that you’re also checking the UV rating. Polarized lenses are another option you may want to opt for, as this feature helps block out glare in your sunglasses which is an extra bonus in protecting your eyes!

3. Wear a brim hat or cap

Hats are another form of protecting your eyes from UV rays. We recommend choosing a hat with at least a three-inch brim to protect your face and head. Also, avoid any material that isn’t woven fabric and avoid any hats that have holes in them, as this makes it a less efficient way of protecting your eyes from the sun.

4. Limit your time in the sun while unprotected

Protecting your eyes from the sun and its harmful UV rays is essential for maintaining optimal eye health and preventing vision loss down the road. While short-term damage may easily go unnoticed, the long-term damage can cause irreversible harm to the structures of your eyes. Of course, we’re not telling you to avoid the outdoors all together! We all need our beach days, vacations, or even just time outside to soak up some vitamin D. It is important though that when you are outside in the sun, make sure you aren’t going an extended period of time without any protection. So, enjoy your fun in the sun, just don’t forget your sunglasses, sunblock, and a hat!

Fuse Lenses

Here at Fuse Lenses, we offer 54+ lens color options as well as prescriptions for our glasses and sunglasses that all offer 100% UV Protection! So, whether you have darker-colored eyes, lighter-colored, or anywhere in between, we are here to help keep your eyes protected daily from the sun’s harmful UV rays.