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Young risk blindness by picking sunglasses for style

(Daily Mail)
Updated: 2007-06-25 14:58

Britney Spears and Paris Hilton are rarely seen without their trendy snglasses

People with light-coloured eyes are most at risk from sun damage if they fail to wear good-quality sunglasses to protect against ultraviolet rays.

Experts say that although designer-label shades - which can cost well over ￡100 - generally offer good lens quality, the cheaper sunglasses from high street chain stores provided eye protection that was just as good and, in some cases, better.

They suggest a simple quality test before buying: hold the sunglasses at arm's length and tilt them slightly.

You should focus on an object in the distance, move them up and down and see if there is any distortion, especially at the lens edges. If the lenses are high-quality, there should be no movement.

Dr Susan Blakeney, optometric adviser at the College of Optometrists, said: 'It is particularly worrying that younger people have so little regard for their eyes when up to 80 per cent of exposure to UV over a person's lifetime occurs before the age of 18.

"It's therefore especially important to make sure that children wear sunglasses so that any long-term damage is minimised."