Protection or harm? How to choose sunglasses for children

We often see celebrity parents putting sunglasses on their newborn babies. As the sunlight becomes increasingly strong, many parents are beginning to pay attention to their children’s sun protection when going out. Some parents have put sunglasses on their children, thinking that they are both sun-proof and cool, while some parents think that sunglasses are for adults and that children can just wear hats to block the sun. So, can children wear sunglasses in the hot sun? If they can, what kind of sunglasses should they choose?

Sunglasses are not a tool for looking cool, but a weapon for protecting your eyes. Exposing to ultraviolet rays for too long can easily cause eye damage even for adults, let alone children. Moreover, children's cornea and lens are more transparent than those of adults, so they are more susceptible to invasion and damage by harmful light. If you do not pay attention to protection, it may damage the child's cornea and lens, and cause burns to the macular area of ​​the retina, laying the hidden dangers for future eye diseases such as cataracts. Therefore, when children need to stay outdoors for a long time under strong sunlight, it is best for them to wear sunglasses. Children with eye diseases should consult a professional doctor to decide whether to wear sunglasses.

So, how long can it last?

You can wear sunglasses to protect your eyes, but it is absolutely not recommended to wear them for too long. Since the vision of young children is still in the development stage, appropriate light entering the eyes can stimulate the development of eye nerves, so it is only recommended to wear sunglasses outdoors in strong sunlight, and the continuous time should not exceed 4 hours. It is best not to wear sunglasses indoors.

Say no to "three no" sunglasses and don't make them too dark

Next is the core issue we discuss in this article, how to choose sunglasses for children?

The general principle for buying sunglasses for children is to try not to choose "three-no products" on the street. Although the styles of these children's sunglasses may be beautiful, it needs to be emphasized that children should focus on the functionality of sunglasses rather than their aesthetics. Because inferior sunglasses have poor UV protection, and lenses that are too dark in color will dilate the pupils after wearing them. At this time, the unblocked UV rays are more likely to damage the eyes, and may even be more harmful than not wearing sunglasses.

It is recommended that when purchasing sunglasses, you can pay attention to whether there are signs such as "UV protection" or "UV400" on the product label. In addition, when choosing sunglasses for children, the darker the color, the better. Lenses of different colors have different functions. Generally, gray, green, and brown are preferred, and the color should be neither too dark nor too light.

The specific selection method is:

1. It is recommended to go to a regular optical shop and choose qualified sunglasses. Generally, it can be identified by product labels, "UV400" and other logos. Children with eye diseases should first consult a doctor whether they are suitable for wearing sunglasses, and then get glasses according to their own situation.

2. The color of the sunglasses you choose for your children should not be too dark, and try to choose sunglasses with frames. The frame size should be suitable for the child's face shape, and sunglasses that are as close to the eyes as possible can better block the entry of ultraviolet rays from all directions. The frame should not be too heavy or too wide, otherwise it will easily slip down. It is recommended to tie a rope at the end of the sunglasses to prevent them from falling.

3. Glass lenses cannot be used. Children are lively by nature and are prone to collisions and falls. Glass lenses have low impact resistance and are not very safe. When purchasing, you can observe distant objects through the sunglasses lens and rotate them slightly to see if the objects are deformed or twisted. If so, it means the lens is deformed and should not be purchased. You can also hold the sunglasses up to the light to see if there are any bubbles, scratches, or other problems.

4. Children with myopia can choose to wear myopic photochromic glasses. This type of glasses is just an ordinary myopia glasses when the light is not strong. When the sunlight is strong outdoors, the color of the lenses will darken. This will not affect the vision of myopic patients and can also prevent strong light from damaging the eyes.

Recommended products have a 98% favorable rating

An ideal pair of sunglasses should have the following features: be able to filter out 96% of ultraviolet rays; the color of the left and right lenses should be uniform, with a difference of less than 5%; the scenery should not be distorted through the lenses; it should be light and comfortable to wear; it should not be easily broken; the frame should fit tightly and comfortably on the bridge of the nose and ears, and the eyelashes should not touch the lenses; even if the frame is slightly bent, the lenses will not fall off. Only when the above requirements are met can it be considered a suitable pair of sunglasses.

These three types of sunglasses make children like to wear a pair of sunglasses when they go out. On the one hand, they can block the sunlight and absorb ultraviolet rays. On the other hand, they also look cool and look good in photos. In addition to optical shops, children's sunglasses are also sold in stationery stores and small commodity markets. Online, there is an even wider variety of children's sunglasses, some of which are even labeled "baby sunglasses". Whether in physical stores or online, prices vary greatly, with the most expensive ones costing hundreds of yuan and the cheapest ones only a few dozen yuan. Therefore, when purchasing, parents should not only consider the appearance, but also pay attention to the quality of the glasses themselves.