Eyeglass Lens Materials: Comfort & Cosmetics

Ever wonder why your eyeglasses look thicker than other peoples? Or why you have red marks on your nose at the end of the day? Yes, it depends greatly on your personal Rx, but even with a more difficult Rx you can still choose the right frame and lenses to obtain greater comfort and cosmetics. Farsighted (+ Rx) patients have lenses with thicker centers. The stronger the prescription, the more the center of the lens bulges forward from the frame. These lenses give the wearer’s eye an unnaturally magnified “bug-eyed” look. While nearsighted (- Rx) patients have lenses with thicker edges. The stronger your prescription, the more edge thickness. This makes the lens highly visible in the frame. These lenses make the wearer’s eye look smaller, and have a “beady-eyed” appearance. Even your frame choice is important to the cosmetics of your lenses. 

Most of today’s frames are made of plastic or metal with rims thinner than the lens itself. Also, popular rimless mountings mean that the lens edges are completely exposed. In either case, the lens edges are highly visible, and thicker edges can detract from the appearance of your eyewear.

For those patients with a prescription over a 3.00 (+ or -) we recommend a high-index material. Some stores will inform you their lens is high-index but a lot of the time they are selling you polycarbonate. High-Index to us here at D’Ambrosio Eye Care is an aspheric design and this design adds to the ability to bend light more efficiently so it can be designed to be thinner, which requires less material which then also reduces the overall weight of the lens. Generally, the higher the index the more cost to the patient so we are careful to recommend the most suitable index.

High-Index 1.67 is the lens choice for rimless and semi-rimless frames because it drills with more success and is thinner for the higher prescriptions. In any frame we would recommend this lens if your Rx was over 3.00 to 5.00 because it will be up to 55% thinner and lighter than plastic.

Hi-Index 1.70 is recommended for single vision wearers with an Rx over 3.00, and will be up to 60% thinner and lighter than plastic. Hi-Index 1.74 is the highest lens on the current market and is up to 65% thinner and lighter than plastic and we recommend this lens when the Rx is over 5.00. All High-Index lenses should be paired with Crizal™ Avance with Scotchgard ™ Protector non-glare, most manufactures require non-glare as it improves the clarity of vision by reducing any reflections off the lens and also makes the lenses appear thinner, improving appearance.

For more information on lenses and materials, please stop by any optical department at D’Ambrosio Eye Care or schedule an eye examination at D’Ambrosio Eye Care by calling us at 800-325-3937, visiting D’Ambrosio Eye Care or facebook.com/dambrosioeyecare so that we can help identify the possible causes and recommend an appropriate treatment plan.
Staffed by a team of Ophthalmologists, Optometrists, Opticians, technical and administrative staff who provide eye examinations for adults and children, cataract surgery and intraocular lens implants (IOL), laser vision correction such as LASIK, diagnosis and treatment of cornea disease including cornea transplants, care for diseases of the retina including diabetes and age related macular degeneration and diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma as well as contact lenses, eyeglasses, eyewear and optical services.
D'Ambrosio Eye Care is a leading eye and LASIK care practice serving the greater Boston and central Massachusetts area including Acton, Athol, Berlin, Bolton, Boylston, Boxborough, Chelmsford, Clinton, Concord, Fitchburg, Gardner, Greenfield, Groton, Harvard, Hudson, Lancaster, Leominster, Lexington, Littleton, Lowell, Lunenburg, Marlborough, Milford, Shelburne Falls, Shirley, Sterling, Stow, Sudbury, Templeton, Westminster, Westborough, Winchendon and Worcester, Massachusetts.
Reference sources: Eyecare Business, Wikipedia, All About Vision, Essilor, Eyetopics, American Academy of Ophthalmology