Top Tips for First Time Contact Lens Wearers

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If you would like to wear contact lenses but don’t know which ones would be suitable for you, follow our handy hints guide to find out more.

Go to Your Optician for a Contact Lens Fitting

This applies to first time contact lens wearers and anybody who is thinking about using an alternative lens type. If you want to wear contact lenses, the first thing you should do is book a contact lens examination with your optician or optometrist so they can check if your eyes are suitable for contact lens wear, which most people’s eyes are.

Your eyes will be measured, you will be trained to insert and remove your contact lenses safely and also shown how to clean and take care of them. You will receive some trial lenses to take away with you, and will be asked to return to your Optician after about 1 week so they can check how well your eyes have reacted to the lenses.

When your eye doctor has determined that these are the best lenses for you, you will be given a copy of your contact lens prescription to take away with you.

Buy Your Contacts in Store or Online

Contact lenses are manufactured in a wide variety of fittings, materials and coatings and you will find that some of them are more suited to your eyes and your lifestyle than others are. You should therefore only purchase the lenses which you have been prescribed with, even when shopping online.

Keep Your Contacts Clean

You must always follow the wearing and cleaning schedule as recommended by your Optician. Failure to do so will put you at risk of eye infections. Don’t over wear your lenses, make sure you throw them away when you are supposed to and never wear them whilst swimming.

Also really important – NEVER try to clean or add moisture to your contact lenses using water or saliva! Use the proper cleaning solutions and eye drops which are suitable for your lens type and that you have been advised to use by your Optician.

There are some very helpful, and reliable, online resources that provide optical advice such as AllAboutVision.

Tips for Buying Contact Lenses Online

You can save money by buying lenses online, but you need to make sure you buy from a reliable retailer. Different businesses set out in the same market to do different things so you should always research the retailer before you buy. Always ensure that you purchase your contact lenses from a reputable contact lens supplier. This ensures that you will always receive the best quality contact lenses, and that they are completely traceable from manufacturer, to supplier, to your door.

For example, online retailer SameDayLenses, is very open about the fact they source all of their lenses direct from the manufacturer. Another online retailer, Lenstore, also provides optical advice to their customers via their in-house optician. When choosing an online retailer of contact lenses, such as Stanton Optical, you should always consider what other services the supplier can offer you and in what ways they ensure you are getting the best quality lenses for the price.

Featured images:

License: Royalty Free or iStock source: www.photobucket.com

Featured Guest Blogger

Christina works as an Optical Advisor and is a regular blogger on health and beauty topics, so you can really trust her to know her facts when it comes to lenses.

Fun and Funky Eyeglasses

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While some early testers of Google Glass say it’s the best thing that’s happened to the face since the invention of nose hair clippers, they don’t improve your vision. In fact, some reviewers say it’s impossible to use Google Glass with prescription eyeglasses. Until there’s a way to integrate the two, ditch the Google Glass and opt for a cool pair of funky eye glasses that will improve how you see the world and how the world sees you.

Everything Old is New Again

With the popularity of period television series like Mad Men and Downton Abbey, clothing and accessories of the past have new cache. Even eyeglass frames from previous decades are making a comeback. Consider the black horn-rimmed plastic frames. Celebs such as Johnny Depp, Tina Fey, and Jennifer Aniston have sported variations on this style. Another blast from the eyewear past is the cat-eye frame. Primarily, women wear this curvy plastic that gives eyes an exaggerated look. If you prefer the early 20th Century look of the Downton Abbey characters, try round frames. This style is especially relevant for those who love the high life on display in this year’s film “The Great Gatsby.” Have fun choosing a style that’s reminiscent of a bygone era.

Future Trends

If you think what’s past is past, then look to the future when it’s time to buy glasses. Hand painted frames in bright colors are gaining popularity. One more emerging trend is the use of wood. Frames made from sustainable wood are fashion forward and eco-friendly. Also gaining popularity are glasses that have cut-out details on the arms.

What’s Hot Now

Thank former vice presidential candidate Sara Palin for the ongoing rage surrounding cubic eyeglasses. This boxy style has moved well beyond Palin, who first gave them prominence. Women of all political stripes wear this style because it creates a serious, down-to-business look. Besides the cubic style, many women embrace the whimsy of embellished frames. Crystals, glitter, and bold prints transform a boring pair of glasses into a fashion statement.

When you want eyeglasses that are fun and funky check out your local eyeglass store, such as Stanton Optical, for a great choice of name brand eyeglasses. Try on a few pairs of glasses and pick out your favorite frames to be made into prescription eyewear.

Find Brand Name Eyeglass Frames at Stanton Optical

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Brand name designer eyeglass frames by CK Calvin Klein.

If you’re searching for a stylish pair of brand name eyeglass frames, it isn’t difficult to find them at a Stanton Optical site. With designer frames ranging from Armani frames to Gucci frames and everything in between, we offer all your favorite designer eyeglass frames to help you find the perfect frame for your face.

Fashionable Eyeglass Frames

With over 3,000 frames available, we feature women’s, men’s, and children’s frames along with prescription safety classes and prescription sunglasses. Every brand that we carry also features a range of frame choices to give you options within your favorite brand. With all these choices, it’s easy to find the perfect pair of stylish glasses for your preferences. We also guarantee the best deal; if you find a better deal, we’ll give you a free pair of glasses, and if you’re not satisfied with your eyeglasses, send them back within 30 days and we’ll exchange them for a new pair.

Did you know that Harley Davidson also designs eyeglass frames?

Our Prescription Eyeglass Brands

Along with 3,000 frame choices, Stanton Optical also offers many brand name choices. Some women’s eyeglass brands include:

Bebe
Candies
Dior
Tommy Hilfiger
Armani
Maxim

Children’s brand name options include:

Capri Jr
Disney
Academic
Hush Puppies
Nike
Jelly Bean
Sesame Street
Kidco
Many others

Other brands you’ll find at Stanton Optical include:

Calvin Klein
Coach
Marc Jacobs
Ralph Lauren
And countless others

Nike eyewear makes terrific sports eyeglasses for men, women and children.

Finding Your Ideal Eyeglasses

Before you can order your perfect pair of eyeglass frames from Stanton Optical, you must complete an eye exam with a professional optometrist at one of our 30 locations over 12 states. Each of our locations are open six days per week, with certain stores open on Sundays. Once you finish your eye exam, we’ll pair you with a frame specialist or store manager to help you choose your perfect pair of designer eyeglasses and to complete your designer eyeglass frame order.

If you’re searching for a stylish pair of eyeglasses or prescription sunglasses, you can easily find them at Stanton Optical, where we’ll help you find the perfect style that compliments your personality.

Playing Outdoors Reduces Children’s Chance of Myopia

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Let Kids Play Outdoors to Reduce Their Chance of Developing Myopia

Natural daylight reduces a child’s chance of their developing myopia, or nearsightedness. The May issue of Ophthalmology includes results from two studies conducted on myopic subjects. Ophthalmology is the official journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the largest association of eye surgeons and eye physicians in the world.

According to the Academy, nearsightedness has increased over 65% since 1970 in the United States. The first study: ‘Effect of Day Length on Eye Growth, Myopia Progression, and Change of Corneal Power in Myopic Children” took place in Denmark where daylight varies between 7 and 17 hours per day depending on the time of year. “Our results indicate that exposure to daylight helps protect children from myopia,” said Dr. Dongmei Cui of China’s Sun Yat-sen University.

The second study took place on students from two different schools in Taiwan. The students at one school didn’t have to go outside during their daily recess while students at the other school were required to play outdoors. The students in the test were between 7 and 11 years old.

Dr. Pei-Chang Wu of Kaohsiung Chang Gung Memorial Hospital in Kaohsiung, Taiwan said “Because children spend a lot of time in school, a school-based intervention is a direct and practical way to tackle the increasing prevalence of myopia.”

Childhood Myopia

Myopia is either the result of the eyeball being too long or from having a cornea that is too steep. This condition makes it difficult to focus clearly causing objects in the distance to look blurry. It is thought that regular exposure to daylight keeps the eyeball from elongating excessively slowing down the progression of myopia. Childhood nearsightedness is found in up to 20% of the population.

Childhood myopia is linked to more serious adult vision problems such as retinal detachment and glaucoma. Although nearsightedness in children is often inherited from their father and/or mother, exposure to natural light is proving to reduce the development or severity of the condition. Both studies published by the AAO showed a slower increase in eyeball growth length which correlated to the time spent outdoors.

In areas with short days, full spectrum light bulbs may help myopic patients.

Fresh Air and Exercise Benefit Eyesight

The moral of the story; get up off the couch and spend some time outdoors for the benefit of your current and future eyesight. Encourage your children to spend less time indoors playing video games and more time exploring the great outdoors.

In areas where daylight is limited during certain seasons, such as Alaska, daylight-spectrum light bulbs could be a good alternative. This is the same type of lighting used to treat patients with SAD, or seasonal affective disorder.

Visit Stanton Optical and let one of our Doctor’s of Optometry give you a complete eye exam. Routine eye checks can help detect and treat any vision problems you are experiencing.

Pine Bark Cataract Remedy

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Pine Bark Extract Shows Promise Treating Cataracts

Pycnogenol is the brand name for a natural extract created from the bark of a specific species of pine tree, Latin name Pinus pinaster. Horphag Research is the official worldwide supplier of Pycnogenol as a raw material for use in various formulations of the pine bark extract by different manufacturers. The active substances found in the supplement can also be extracted from other natural sources including grape seed, witch hazel bark and peanut skins.

Native Americans made a tea from the inner bark of the maritime pine tree as a general wellness enhancer. Indians in the Quebec area of Canada shared their pine bark remedy with Europeans who used it to prevent scurvy, a common vitamin C deficiency affecting early settlers of North America.

In the modern-day the extract is used to treat a variety of ailments including asthma, high blood pressure, allergies and varicose veins. Pycnogenol is also showing promise as an effective treatment in certain eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy.

A recent study by Western University Canada proved the pine bark extract may slow down the development of cataracts. Further studies are needed to confirm the effectiveness of Pycnogenol, taken in pill form, to reduce the risk of developing cataracts. The preliminary research shows the best results are obtained when the pine bark extract is combined with other antioxidants such as vitamin C and beta carotene.

“Pycnogenol has been marketed as an antioxidant for a long time but this is definitely an exciting opportunity for its healing effects if we can make this work,” says John Trevithick from Western University’s Faculty of Health Sciences and the Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry.

Pinus pinaster AKA maritime pine tree.

Visit an Eye Doctor for a Routine Eye Exam

If you are experiencing vision problems, visit your physician who can rule out any possible causes. They may recommend you visit an eye care specialist such as an optometrist or ophthalmologist who can give you a comprehensive eye examination and determine the cause of your eyesight concerns.

Retail eyeglass stores, such as Stanton Optical, have a Doctor of Optometry on site or next to each of their stores. Stop in anytime, or schedule your eye exam online the next time you are ready for a new pair of prescription eyeglasses.

Fashionable Prescription Sunglasses

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Sunglasses are a fun fashion accessory that can be used to brightly accent any outfit. Prescription eyeglass wearers often feel as if they are unable to incorporate these fun fashion accessories into their wardrobe, but they can with prescription sunglasses.

What are Prescription Sunglasses?

Prescription lenses sunglasses are just like regular sunglasses, but with one difference – they have prescription lenses placed into them. These prescription sunglasses have the reflective lenses that help shield the eyes against the harmful UV rays of the sun along with the prescription lenses that allow people to see clearly.

The History of Sunglasses with Prescription Lenses

While the reasons for using prescription sunglasses have not changed over the years, the styles certainly have. When prescription sunglasses started to gain popularity optical stores only had a small selection to choose from.

This was because sunglasses vendors only designed a handful of styles and designs which people could choose from. The styles that were available were pretty standard for sunglasses. The frames were square boxes and there were only a handful of color choices available to customers.

The Many Styles of Prescription Sunglasses

Dolce & Gabanna prescription sunglasses.

Today, the popularity and demand for prescription sunglasses have resulted in these glasses getting their own section in the optical store. There and multiple sunglass frame styles available. Some of the styles are even created by notable designers such as Ray-Ban, Gucci and Dolce & Gabbana.

Some of the styles that are available for women’s and men’s prescription sunglasses include:

Traditional Square Frames
Cat eye Frames
Tortoise-shell Frames

A colorful pair of classic Ray Ban Wayfarers brand name frames.

Choosing Colorful Prescription Sunglasses

One of the things that make prescription lenses sunglasses so fashionable is the ability to color coordinate them with outfits. Both men’s and women’s prescription sunglasses come in a vast array of colors, which make them great fashion accessories. Besides choosing colorful frames, you can also choose to vary the tint color of the lenses. Sunglass lenses don’t have to be black, smoke or brown. Exciting lens tints include rose, green, blue and yellow.

Some of the frame colors that are available to choose from include:

Traditional Colors, including black, white, grey, and brown
Neon Colors, including bright oranges, purples and blues
Subtle Pastels, such as soft pinks and light blues

Wearing prescription eyeglasses doesn’t mean you have to miss out on wearing fashionable sunglasses. The many styles of prescription sunglasses allow you to protect your eyes from the sun and see clearly. Many eyeglass stores, such as Stanton Optical, offer many name brand styles of prescription and non-prescription sunglasses for sale at each of their locations.

Stanton Optical General Manager Honored with Private Eyeglass Line

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Deborah Richards (R) & her daughter Stormi (L).

Stormi Daze Private Label Sunglasses

Did you know that every year Stanton Optical honors the general manager at the top producing store with their own line of eyewear? Company founder, Daniel Stanton states, “Stanton Optical manufactures a private label frame line for the top performing store manager to show our appreciation.”

Deborah Richards has been the General Manager of the Stanton Optical Augusta, Georgia store ever since it opened in 2010. The Stormi Daze sunglasses line was named after her daughter Stormi. The award celebrated the fact that Deborah and her staff made the Augusta store the #1 revenue producing store in 2011. Deborah is particularly proud of the sunglass line named after her daughter and mentions: “if you are blinded by the light, all you need is Stormi Daze!”

The private label eyewear includes 4 styles of Deborah Richards prescription eyeglasses with a retail cost of $99.95 and 6 styles of Stormi Daze sunglasses with a retail cost of $129.95. Each style of the eyeglasses and sunglasses are available in multiple color options including white, tortoise-shell, black and violet.

A selection of Sormi Daze sunglasses at Stanton Optical.

Media Coverage

The May 1st issue of dba – Doing Business in Optical’s Local Markets, a Vision Monday newsletter, includes an article on Stanton Optical titled Customized Design Combined with Empowering Employees Make Stanton a Success. The article, written by Senior Editor John Sailer, includes information and photographs on the Stormi Daze and Deborah Richards private label eyewear.

A formal press release was issued to alert media outlets about the Stanton Optical honor to award their top revenue performer with their own line of designer glasses. Over 120 online news sites added the story to their websites. The complete press release was even picked up by The Wall Street Journal online, how awesome is that!

Other notable pickups included Yahoo Finance, Atlanta Business Chronicle and the South Florida Business Journal. After hearing of the inclusion of the story on WSJ online Deborah mentioned: “All I can say is WOW!” Smile Deborah, you are famous.

Let an Optometrist Check Your Eyesight

Many people skip visiting their eye doctor if they haven’t experienced a change in vision, while others choose to assess their own eye health from home. In reality, this is a poor habit to get into and a somewhat dangerous practice. There are optometrists in the world for a reason, and it’s important that you allow a doctor of optometry to check our eyesight instead of doing it yourself.

Why You Need an Eye Doctor

There are countless reasons that each person needs an eye doctor, and the benefits an optometrist provides make them the clear choice when you need your eyes examined. For one, if you do need corrective lenses, you can’t even buy them without seeing a doctor to decide your exact eyeglass prescription. Additionally, an eye doctor knows what to look for, and they can often spot problems that could lead to serious eye diseases if left untreated. If you vision has changed progressively throughout your life, you may not realize that your vision has become blurred, but an eye doctor can help you obtain clear vision again.

Why You Should Never Self-Diagnose Eye Problems

Self-diagnosing your own eyesight is often dangerous. As mentioned, you may not realize that your vision is deteriorating when you actually do need corrective lenses. In addition, if you do find that you need corrective lenses, you can’t determine the exact type of lenses you need without a trained professional.

There’s More to an Eye Exam Than You Think

A common misconception about eye exams is that they’re only for people who have vision problems and need corrective lenses, but in reality, an eyeglasses doctor can do so much more than that. Even if you don’t now experience any vision problems, an eye doctor can test your risk of developing more serious eye problems such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Simply put, an eyecare professional can test your eye health far beyond how clear your vision is, making it important to see an optometrist for routine eye checkups.

Go to your local Stanton Optical store and get a comprehensive eye examination from a board certified optometrist. Doctors of Optometry are located in or next each of our over 30 store locations nationwide.

May is Healthy Vision Month

Enjoy Healthy Vision During the Month of May

The American Optometric Association designated March as National Save Your Vision Month. Did you know the month of May has been designated Healthy Vision Month by the National Eye Institute? The organization, part of the National Institutes of Health, began the eye health awareness campaign in 2003 to stress the importance of routine eye examinations. The theme of this year’s eye health month is “healthy vision: make it last a lifetime.”

A qualified eye care professional, such as a Doctor of Optometry or ophthalmologist, can give you a comprehensive dilated eye examination to check for any vision problems or eye diseases. The eye doctor will also present you with your eyeglass prescription should you need to order a pair of corrective lenses.

Healthy Diet Equals Healthy Eyes

National Eye Institute Ophthalmologist Dr. Rachel Bishop mentions that “there are a lot of things we can do to keep our eyes healthy. First, to think of it in simple terms the advice that we get to keep our heart healthy and keep our body healthy, we’ve learned applies just as well to the eyes.”

Eating a regular healthy diet filled with lots of fresh fruits and vegetables is the key to maintaining optimal eye health. Many eye problems don’t present themselves until we get older, so following a nutritious eating plan is important throughout your lifetime, not just when you are young. Eye care experts recommend avoiding excessive amounts of processed foods and limiting both alcohol consumption and cigarette use.

Early Detection of Eye Health Problems

According to the National Eye Institute 38 million people over 40 years old have some sort of serious eye condition such as cataracts, glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy. Early detection is the key to diagnosing and treating any eye problems before they become serious issues. Untreated vision problems can lead to permanent loss of eyesight.

The NEI recommends dilated eye exams from a qualified eye care professional. The eye doctor will place eye drops in both your eyes to dilate your pupils. The procedure is painless and allows the doctor to check for nearsightedness, astigmatism, farsightedness and other common eye problems. Eye doctors can also decide if you are suffering from dry eye syndrome, cataracts or other eye diseases.

Visit Stanton Optical for Routine Eye Exams

Visit a local eyeglass store the next time you need a comprehensive eye examination. Stanton Optical has board certified Doctors of Optometry available at or next to each of their stores for their customers convenience. Walk-ins are always welcome, or you can schedule your appointment online for a date and time that’s convenient for you.

Sexy Women’s Sunglasses

Private label Stormi Daze sunglasses from Stanton Optical.

If you care about fashion at all, then you know that there’s more to a pair of women’s sunglasses that simply blocking the sun. Finding the perfect pair of glasses that looks great with your face and your ensemble is also a crucial part of your body image. There is clearly a need for both practicality and style, but where can you find this combination? Read on to learn about how to find the perfect pair of sexy women’s sunglasses.

Purple frame Stormi Daze sunglasses available exclussively at Stanton Optical.

Women’s Sunglasses Style

There’s no real answer to where you can find your ideal sunglasses style. There are simply too many retailers online and locally that feature an infinite range of designer sunglasses frames. To find the best sunglasses for women and the perfect style for you, consider these ideas:

Understand your face shape and what types of styles will look good on you.
Visit various sunglasses retailers to try on different styles even if you aren’t going to buy from them.
Go online and look up the various styles that are out there.
Narrow down your style choice by what you like and what looks best on you.

UV Protection

Now that you know what type of stylish frame you want, it’s time for fashion to meet practicality. To begin with, you want to make sure that the sunglasses offer plenty of UV protection. What does this do? It protects your eyes from sun damage and prevents cataracts and other eye issues. It’s best to go with a pair that features 100 percent UVA and UVB protection.

Elegant white frames in the Stormi Daze sunglasses line.

Prescription Lenses

Aside from sun protection, another practical aspect you’ll want to look for is whether you need prescription lenses or not. If you do have vision problems, then you should know that you can purchase prescription sunglasses frames that offer the same style that you love. If you need prescription lenses sunglasses, make sure to consult your eye doctor so that you know you’re ordering the proper pair of women’s prescription sunglasses.

When all these aspects meet, including the style, UV protection, and proper prescription, you receive a pair of stylish and sexy women’s sunglasses with a practical side. Find fashionable name brand women’s sunglasses from retail eyeglass stores such as Stanton Optical.