Lenses are the functional center of any pair of spectacles. They provide the correction and protection, while the frame satisfies the aesthetics. Significant developments in eye care in recent years have been a testament to the fact that eye care is not limited to frame, lens size, and design. As the demand for highly customized designs and prescription requirements increase, one must be cognizant of all the services and features they can add to their glasses to yield the best results. From diverse types of corrective lenses, contact lenses, reading glasses, and protective gear, one can choose an ideal match.
Curating the best of what brands and eye care services have to offer, reputed brands such as Titan Eyeplus are meant to help you satisfy the requirements of their customers with respect to corrective or simply aesthetic eyewear. Since having eye protection when stepping outdoors is necessary, innovations such as photochromic lenses have come to the fore. They have a very distinct manner of adapting to their surroundings and provide UV protection to the wearer outdoors. An invention that focuses on scientific properties and the sun’s reaction to the same, a photochromic lens can effectively filter the amount of light entering a pair of glasses. One can choose to install a photochromic lens to their regular, prescription eyewear which will turn into protection sunglasses when exposed to sunglasses. To dissipate the intrigue around a photochromic lens and its properties, read all you need to know about photochromic lenses below.
What is a Photochromic Lens?
The fundamentals of a photochromic lens and its purpose occur through an external change in the environment of the lenses. Installed as a lens on pair of eyeglasses is the photochromic lens, designed to darken automatically whenever exposed to UV radiation. Thus, the lens effectively limits the amount of sunlight and radiation that makes it through to the wearer’s eyes. It takes approximately 30 seconds of being exposed to sunlight for a photochromic lens to turn into the shade of tinted sunglasses. When the wearer returns indoors, the tint takes about 5 minutes to dissipate and return to clear. Owing to their external stimulus-oriented design, photochromic lenses are often called reactolights as well and can be made of plastic, polycarbonate, or glass.
How does a Photochromic Lens Work?
The function of a photochromic lens is to limit sunlight and radiation, and the automatic color/tint change may appear to be a sophisticated and technical process. But it is a simple chemical reaction that is reactive to sunlight. A photochromic lens is made from small molecules of silver halide and chloride, which undergo a rapid chemical process when exposed to direct UV radiation or sunlight. This chemical reaction causes the in-built molecules to change in size and orientation, which in effect darkens the appearance of the photochromic lens and gives it the sunglass tint within 30 seconds of exposure. Since this chemical process is reversible, the lenses return to clear like that of regular eyeglasses once the wearer returns indoors or moves to a place with limited sunlight.
To ingenious engineering of compounds that are reactive to sunlight, a photochromic lens appears to be a dual solution in one. The wearer does not require to change into sunglasses when they move outdoors, essentially having a sunglass and eyeglass within one pair. The photochromic lens is instrumental in protecting the wearer from harmful UV radiation and is quite convenient as their everyday eyeglasses can turn into sunglasses the moment they step outdoors. It is a great investment for those who lead active lifestyles and require special attention for their long-term eye health. It safeguards their eyes from problems like cataracts and macular degeneration.
It is also important to keep in mind photochromic lenses disadvantages, as they can be an expensive purchase. These glasses are not great to wear while driving, as shifting sunlight exposure may darken the field of vision at the wrong moments. They are also not as effective in overcast weather or in the winter, and they do not protect from harsh glares that reflect off reflective surfaces like the sea or snow. Therefore, now that the fundamentals of the working of a photochromic lens have been explored, one can find their suited match of photochromic glasses on Titan Eyeplus with an impressive range of frame and design options.