Are your cool shades cruel to your eyes?

They might look good but aren't offering enough protection, says CAMILLA FOSTER

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WHEN shopping for a new pair of sunglasses, style shouldn't be your only concern prioritising how well they protect your eyes from harmful UV rays is just as important.

Here Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu, clinical adviser at The College of Optometrists, highlights what protection features you should check.

“Make sure that your glasses protect your eyes against UVA and UVB rays as they are the two types of UV light which can cause the most harm to the eyes,” advises Dr Bilkhu.

“There should be a marker on either the side, or the inside of the frame, which says that it’s either CE marked or UKCA marked. This means that the lenses adhere to the British Standards and have been manufactured to the right parameters to protect against the harmful UV light that can cause damage to the eye.

“If your sunglasses don’t carry these marks, you should be very wary about whether or not they actually provide the level of protection needed.”

Why is it important to protect eyes from UV rays?