Presbyopia, a natural change in the eye’s ability to focus due to the eye’s lens stiffening with age, can be an embarrassing diagnosis from an optician. Presbyopia means that an eyewear prescription requires bifocals or even trifocals. Anyone who chooses to wear glasses dreads the day when their prescription includes the need for “the lines”. Corrective lenses have been a cause for derision; the old “Coke bottle glasses” meme.
Corrective lenses have changed over time. The first progressive addition lenses were patented in 1907, however, a viable commercial version was not available until 1955. Even then, progressive lenses were relatively crude and therefore not widely accepted. It was not until 1972 that the Varilux brand, under the auspices of Bernard Maitenaz, developed a progressive lens that provided visual clarity as well as cosmetic acceptability. This revolution in progressive lens design and manufacture was a huge advance in corrective eyewear. It could be said that with this development, needing prescription lenses and needing to wear glasses ceased to be a source of shame and began to be a fashion statement. Reference John Lennon!
With that said you might still wonder, why do I need progressive lenses? If you find that you need to hold reading material at arm’s length in order to focus properly then you have developed presbyopia. You need progressive lenses. Does this mean you need to have unsightly lines on my lenses? The simple answer is no! Progressive lenses are a bit of a miracle with regard to the clarity of your vision. You may have heard horror stories about adjusting to progressive lenses. These stories are no longer applicable.
The manufacturers of progressive lenses have adapted and improved their lenses so that the lenses adapt to your vision style–not the other way around. There are several different types of progressive lenses now available that truly fit your vision style. For example, the manufacturer Varilux offers high-resolution progressive lenses for sharper vision in all conditions. This type of lens is perfect if you play sports. Visual comfort has become the top priority in the manufacture of progressive lenses. There is every reason to love progressive lenses if you have presbyopia.
In the past, a presbyopia diagnosis meant a limited selection of frames. It is true that progressive lenses require more lens space than a traditional optical prescription. However, eyewear has become such a fashion statement that many, many people are choosing non-prescription eyewear as an accessory. When Topshop, the British Multinational fashion retailer began offering clear lenses as a fashion accessory in late 2015, even runway designers needed to offer eyewear in their collections. Not only did designers need to offer eyewear, they also needed to address their collections toward the different types of eyewear consumers–from Geek to Chic. Thanks to fashion houses such as Chanel and Prada, eyewear is not simply a medical device. Wearing glasses is hip.
Thanks to the advances in progressive lens manufacturing technology along with the advent of eyewear as a fashion accessory, there are now myriad frame choices available to all eyewear consumers. Retailers have listened to their consumers, especially those who require progressive lenses. Gone are the days when a presbyopia diagnosis meant settling for huge frames that accommodated the lens. Along with the proliferation of frame choices available for progressive lenses, price points have also significantly decreased–allowing the progressive lens consumer the option to own several frame styles to fit the occasion or to match the outfit. This is a truly amazing development.
If you are searching for the perfect pair of frames to go with your progressive lens prescription look no further. Contact us for a huge range of designer and lifestyle frames at prices that allow you to select as many styles as you like.
