Unlike some vision care programs, TruAssure allows you to choose from any of the frames, lenses, contact lenses or sunwear available from your eyecare provider. This section offers points to consider as you make your selections.
Frames
Lenses
Contact Lenses
Sunwear
Frames
You’ll have many choices of styles and brands of eyeglass frames. Your provider will help you select a frame that best suits your face and your lifestyle. Consider:
- Frame Styles
- A Proper Fit
- Children’s Eyewear
- How to Enhance the Shape of Your Face
Frame Styles
Your provider can show you dozens of frames to help you select the one best for
you.
Look for styles that are:
- Mechanically sound with solid hinges and sturdy solder points. Frames made of titanium alloy can be bent or twisted, yet will return to their original shape.
- Durable in their appearance. Cheaper frames don’t always hold up and may deteriorate or discolor. A good quality frame should be corrosion- and heat-resistant and have an unblemished, highly polished finish.
- Comfortable on your face with a straight, balanced look. Advances in metals and plastics have made frames much lighter than in the past. Spring hinges will keep glasses in proper alignment.
A Proper Fit
Frames will feel comfortable on your face if they fit properly. When selecting frames
remember:
- Eyebrow Line: The top of the frame should follow your eyebrow as closely as possible.
- Pupil Alignment: Your pupils should be near the center of the frame.
- Frame Position: Your frames should not move on your face when you smile. They should fit comfortably without pinching.
Children’s Eyewear
Look for these features when buying children’s glasses:
- Thin Profile: A thinner lens profile can make children more comfortable wearing eyeglasses.
- Spring Hinges: Spring hinges prevent the need for frequent adjustments and hold the glasses in place.
- Lower Bridge: A lower bridge will fit a child’s smaller nose better and keep glasses from sliding down.
How to Enhance the Shape of Your Face
To make sure that you look your best, look in the mirror and determine the overall
shape of your face. Select a frame that enhances that shape.
- Oval Face: Nearly all frame styles look good on a face with rounded forehead and chin of equal size. Geometric or rounded frames are especially attractive.
- Round Face: Full cheeks with a rounded chin and forehead look best with geometric frames. They sharpen facial features and create definition.
- Square Face: Rounded, cat-eye or oval frames soften the angular features of a wider forehead, cheeks and chin.
- Rectangular Face: Curved and rounded frames will emphasize width on a long or narrow face with a square chin.
- Triangular Face: Aviator or geometric frames add width to the chin of a triangular face with wide forehead narrowing to a small chin.
- Diamond Face: This face has a small forehead with a wide temple area that narrows to the chin. It looks best with a round or geometric frame to minimize the width of the temple.
Not all lenses are alike. Your provider will help you select the lenses with features that are best for you. Consider:
- Lenses That Fit Your Needs
- Lens Options
Lenses That Fit Your Needs
The type of lens that your doctor recommends will be based largely on your prescription,
as well as your lifestyle.
- Single Vision: Lenses that correct one vision defect; nearsightedness, farsightedness or a simple reading correction.
- Bifocals and Trifocals: Lenses for those with a visual condition such as presbyopia that requires more than distance to focus. Bifocals offer two areas of focus and trifocals offer three areas of focus.
- Lenticular: Lenses prescribed for those needing lens that are heavier or thicker because of a specific lens requirement. The lenticular lens design helps reduce the thickness, making the lens more cosmetically and functionally appealing.
- Progressives: No-line multifocal lenses which provide the needed correction for multiple focal lengths but do not have a visible seam or line in the lenses.
Lens Options
Your lenses can be enhanced for optimal vision comfort by the following lens options:
- Tinted Lenses (Solid or Gradient): Lenses made with coatings applied to the lens material to reduce the amount of light entering the eye.
- Polycarbonate Lens Material: Makes lenses up to ten times stronger and approximately thirty percent lighter.
- Scratch-resistant Coating: A protective coating applied directly to the lens material that greatly reduces the potential for normal scratching of the lenses, reducing lens distortion.
- UV (Ultraviolet) Coating: Protects eyes from the potentially harmful ultraviolet rays generated from the sun or other light sources.
Contact Lenses
Your doctor will help you determine the contacts right for you. Some popular choices
include:
- Conventional
- Disposable/Frequent Replacement
- Bifocal
- Toric
- Colored or Fashion-Tinted Lenses
Conventional
Conventional lenses are all lenses that do not fall into the category of disposable
product. They can be rigid, gas permeable material or conventional soft lens material.
Disposable/Frequent Replacement
Replacing your contacts on a regular basis may be in your best interest. Your doctor
will help you choose the type of lens best for the health of your eyes.
- Monthly: Lenses are replaced on a one- or two-month cycle.
- Weekly: Lenses are replaced every week or two.
- Daily: Lenses are truly disposable and replaced daily.
Bifocal
These lenses are designed to correct for distance and near vision at the same time
(just like bifocal glasses). They are specialty lenses and may be more difficult
to adapt to.
Toric
These lenses have a special curvature designed to correct for astigmatism. Astigmatism
is a visual defect in which the cornea is not perfectly round. Toric lenses are
used when conventional soft or rigid lenses do not correct the defect. The newer
toric lenses typically meet with a high degree of satisfaction.
Colored or Fashion-tinted Lenses
The cosmetically tinted lenses are designed to enhance or change a person’s eye
color. They are very popular with people with light colored eyes and offer an excellent
opportunity to change or enhance eye color.
Sunwear is an important, but frequently overlooked, part of an eye care program. Consider the following protective options:
- Sunglasses
- Sun Clip-Ons
Sunglasses
Wearing sunglasses is one of the easiest ways to protect and help preserve your
eyesight. Just as sunscreen protects skin from harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays, sunglasses
protect your eyes. The harmful effects of going unprotected include:
- Irreversible damage to your eyes, since UV radiation can burn your eyes as it does your skin.
- Certain eye diseases - UV radiation has been linked to diseases that may lead to blindness, such as cataracts and macular degeneration.
The earlier you start protecting your eyes, the better. If you've had LASIK or PRK
laster vision correction, it's extremely important to wear sunglasses to protect
you eyes.
Ask you vision care provider for prescription or non-prescription sunglasses that
block at lease 99% of UV radiation.
Sun Clip-Ons
For quick and easy sun protection ask your provider about clip-ons that match the
size shape of eyeglasses. Now in stylish designs each has rubber-covered prongs
to keep them place without scratching lenses.