Lenses are lenses, right?

Unfortunately, that’s what many people think, but there are many lens features that solve many of the problems you may be experiencing with your current eyewear. We use our eyes every waking minute of every day, so it pays to choose only the best products to enhance your visual comfort and reduce eyestrain. Whether your lenses are thick and heavy, or you have problems with glare or light sensitivity, or your bifocals make you dizzy, we have a lens that’s right for you.

We feel it is important that you understand that when it comes to vision care products, they are not all created equally! Across the eye care industry there is a large variance in quality and craftsmanship. We take pride in using a wide-range of top quality materials with great product support to provide you with the best possible eye care products. We meet regularly with manufacturer's representatives to make sure that we have the latest and greatest available. Our value is in knowing what is available and what best meets your needs. Continue reading to see how these products will give you the clearest, most comfortable vision possible.

How Does Crizal Avance^® with Scotchguard Anti-Reflective Coating Benefit You?

Minimizes reflections that cause eyestrain and fatigue, especially from fluorescent lighting and computer screens.

• Easier to keep clean by reducing fingerprints and resisting dust.
• Reduces glare from headlights, taillights, and even overhead lights, so you see more clearly. (Ideal for night time driving)
• Reduces lens scratches.
• Improves your appearance by reducing unwanted reflections.
• Resistant to chipping and flaking.

How Can Progressive (Line-less bifocals) Lenses Help Me?

• Wider range for near vision needs
• More natural near focusing
• Smooth transition from distance to near vision.
• They look much better than the lined bifocals.
• They hide your age.

What are High Index lenses, and how will they benefit me?

THICK AND HEAVY or THIN AND LIGHT lenses? The choice is yours .

• Reduces the thickness of your lenses by up to 42%
• Reduce the weight of your lenses by up to 31%
• Increased protection from lens shattering with polycarbonate plastic
• Protects your eyes from harmful Ultraviolet sun rays.
  

How will Transition changeable lenses benefit me?

• Automatically darken when outdoors.
• Adjusts the level of tint based on outside light conditions.
• It’s like sunscreen for your eyes. It protects your eyes from harmful UV sun ray s.
• Reduce need for a second pair of prescription sunglasses.
• Transitions VI – Darkens faster outdoors and lightens faster indoors!

Crizal Avance Anti-reflective Coating with Scotchguard and Scratch Resistant Coating

This 3 in 1 coating is by far our most popular lens coating. Normally, all lenses create glare, reflections, and “ghost images.” These reflections are a source of eyestrain, and visual discomfort and just plain old annoying. They also affect your appearance to others. Now, all of these problems can be reduced with Crizal Avance ® anti-reflective coating with Scotchguard and built in scratch resistant coating.

What we see is a result of light being sensed by our eyes. With normal lenses, much of the light reflects off the lenses. This produces glare. It also reduces the wearer’s visual acuity. In other words, the light reflection is both a cosmetic and visual problem.

With uncoated lenses, almost 12% of light is reflected and does not reach the back of the eye. Anti-reflective coatings increase light transmission through the lenses to 99.5 percent. They make it easier to see and easier for others to see you. These coatings are especially useful for those viewing computer screens and driving at night.

Advanced Technology

Crizal Avance with Scotchguard lenses are more than just another anti-reflective (AR) lens. A patented 8-step integrated process fuses industry-leading cleanability, scratch resistance, and AR properties into the lens itself, delivering unrivaled performance. This is the only technology of its kind to guarantee no compromises in cleanability and anti-smudge performance on both sides of the lens.

Unparalleled Durability

Crizal Avance with Scotchguard lenses are designed to be extremely durable for all patients, but especially for patients who are tough on their eyeglasses. Two-sided scratch resistance, and anti-reflective and hydrophobic (water repelling) properties are all integrated in one factory process. Zirconium oxide creates a diamond-like toughness on the whole lens, while 50% silica particles make lenses equally scratch resistant on the front and the back.  A flexible polymer matrix prevents cracking and peeling on both sides of the lens. You can be confident you won’t have to replace your lenses anytime soon.

Easiest to Clean

Unlike other anti-reflective lenses, Crizal Avance with Scotchguard lenses provides your patients with unmatched cleanability and smudge resistance. The steeper, or higher, the contact angle of a lens, the easier it is to clean. These lenses have the highest contact angle of any available AR. Water and grease stains don’t adhere to Crizal Avance with Scotchguard. Fifty percent more fluorinated molecules dramatically increase its hydrophobic and oil resistant properties.  The proof is in the patients’ own words: 97% of Crizal Avance wearers say lenses are “easy” or “very easy” to clean.

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Progressive Lenses

Progressive lenses, sometimes called "no-line bifocals", are a type of eyeglass lens used to provide visual correction for a common condition called presbyopia. Varilux lenses, the industry leader in progressive lenses, enable you to see near, far and everything in between. No-lines provide a smooth transition from focusing on nearby to focusing on distant objects because they do not have a distinct line which separates the focusing powers. Instead, a gradual change in power allows the wearer to focus on objects at all distances. Distant objects are viewed through the upper portion of the lens, while near objects are viewed through the middle or lower portion of the lens. These are also great for computer users.

Varilux meaning "variable light" was named to demonstrate the progressive, or variable, power of the lens. Not only is it the first progressive lens ever designed, Varilux continues to be the #1 prescribed progressive lens by eye care professionals around the world.

ClearView Family EyeCare features Varilux progressive lenses. They were the first company to introduce this technology nearly 50 years ago, so you can feel confident you are wearing the best lenses available. Varilux conducts the most extensive wearer testing of anyone in the industry to ensure complete patient satisfaction. With more than 300 million lenses sold worldwide, Varilux is the progressive lens brand that eye care professionals trust and recommend most.

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Bifocal Lenses

For many people, different lenses are needed for seeing at different distances. Bifocal lenses allow the wearer to look through two areas of the lens. One area focuses on distant objects. The other is used for reading. A little-known fact is that bifocals were invented by Benjamin Franklin, and his style of bifocals is still available today.

Most of the time the “reading” area is smaller, shaped like a sideways “D”, and found in the lower half of the lens. These bifocals are called line bifocals or flat-tops. If you are focusing on distant objects, you look through the top half of the lenses. To read a book, magazine, or newspaper, you look through the “reading” area. The Franklin style lenses are less common, and are split horizontally down the middle of each lens. One thing that is difficult about using bifocals is dealing with the line between the two vision areas. Fortunately, recent technologies have developed a new type of lens, called the no-line, or progressive, lens.

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Trifocal Lenses

Bifocals allow the wearer to read through one area of the lens, and to focus on distant objects through another area of the lens. As the eyes age, though, a stronger prescription is often needed to read. This would be fine, but the stronger prescription that allows for reading makes it difficult to focus on objects at intermediate distances, such as grocery items on a shelf or your speedometer. Thus, trifocals are necessary for a third prescription for intermediate focusing.

Trifocals, also known as line trifocals, feature three areas of focusing power, each separated from the other by a distinct, visible line. The three windows allow for focusing on distant objects, intermediately distanced objects, and for reading. The downside of trifocals is dealing with the lines between the different focusing powers. Fortunately, recent advances in technology have led to developments in no-line, or progressive lenses.

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High Index Lenses

Years ago, the only materials available for use as lenses were glass and a hard resin called CR-39. But now, high index lenses are available. High index materials are named because they have a higher index of light refraction. Basically, they can do the same job that thicker glass or CR-39 does, but high index lenses are much thinner and lighter. With high index lenses, you can avoid having “Coke bottle” lenses.

When learning about high index lenses, you may hear many unfamiliar numbers and terms. Here are a few things to remember.

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Polycarbonate

The first and still the most popular high index plastic is polycarbonate. Polycarbonate was originally developed for fighter jet cockpits. It is very strong, very light, and resistant to breaking.

Polycarbonate lenses are thinner and lighter than traditional plastic eyeglass lenses. If your current eyewear hurts your nose or behind your ears then polycarbonate would be an excellent lens choice. They offer 100 percent ultraviolet (UV) protection. These are the same sun rays that cause sunburn and can cause skin cancer. There is evidence that these light rays can also damage the health of your eyes. These lenses are up to 10 times more impact-resistant than regular plastic lenses. This combination of lightweight comfort, UV protection and impact resistance makes polycarbonate lenses an excellent choice for everyday glasses, children's glasses , sports eyewear and safety glasses .

Since then, polycarbonate lenses have become the standard for safety glasses, sports goggles and children's eyewear. Because they are less likely to fracture than regular plastic lenses, polycarbonate lenses are also a good choice for rimless eyewear designs where the lenses are attached to the frame components with drill mountings. High-Index

For very nearsighted or farsighted prescriptions, this is the material for you. High index lenses, such as 1.66, and 1.74, are much thinner than regular glass or plastic or even polycarbonate. These materials can reduce the thickness of your lenses by up to 30%! Talk with your doctor to decide which high index lens is right for you.

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Transitions - The lenses that darken in the Sun

If you have ever felt frustrated at needing both prescription glasses and prescription sunglasses to accommodate an outdoor lifestyle, you should consider photochromic lenses. While not intended to be a complete replacement for a pair of dedicated sunglasses, photochromic lenses may be the answer to your vision needs. There are a variety of photochromic options available. Depending on what you choose, you can customize the lenses to your needs. Some lenses darken only in direct sunlight, while others darken in little or no direct light. Some are designed to darken while you are in the car to reduce road glare while you are driving. You can even choose the color of the tint. Ask your doctor what options are available.

If you wear regular clear lenses, the glare of the sun can cause you to squint and strain your eyes and make it difficult to see objects clearly in bright light. Through advanced technology, Transitions lenses give you the benefits of clear lenses indoors and at night, plus distinct advantages of sunglasses outdoors - all in the convenience of one lens.

And just like sunblock protects your skin, Transitions lenses help preserve the health and wellness of your eyes for the future by blocking 100% of harmful UV rays, so you can see better tomorrow too. Here's how …

Transitions lenses contain patented light sensitive dyes which cause the lens to activate - or darken - when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) rays from sunlight. When the UV light diminishes, the lenses fade back to clear. As outdoor light conditions change, the level of darkness adjusts, creating just the right level of tint and allowing just the right amount of light to enter the eyes at any given time. This action allows Transitions lenses to help protect your eyes from the light you can see - reducing glare, diminishing eye strain and fatigue and enabling you to distinguish contrast more easily

For the light you can't see - ultraviolet light - Transitions lenses can help protect your eyes for long-term preservation of healthy sight. It's important to remember that, no matter how light or dark they appear to be, Transitions lenses are always blocking 100% of eye-damaging UVA and UVB rays. In other words, Transitions lenses provide automatic protection from UV rays in any environment, continually protecting your eyes from the light you can't see while you enjoy comfort and vision quality in the light that you can see.

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Polarized Lenses

Dr. Keriotis has said it many times. “Once you own a pair of polarized sunglasses, you will never want regular sunglasses again.” Glare from wet roads, light reflecting off other vehicles, and glare from your own windshield can be annoying and dangerous. To minimize this glare, we offer polarized lenses. Polarized lenses eliminate almost all glare, reducing eye strain and increasing visibility giving you more comfortable vision in bright sunlight. Polarized lenses are the most effective way to reduce glare.

Most glare comes from horizontal surfaces, so the light is “horizontally polarized.” Polarized lenses feature vertically-oriented “polarizers.” These polarizers block the horizontally-polarized light. The result is a glare-reduced view of the world. Polarized lenses can make a world of difference for any outdoor enthusiast. Fisherman can eliminate the bright reflections from the water and actually see into the water more easily than with other sunglasses, golfers can see the green easier, and joggers and bikers can enjoy reduced glare from the road. In addition, drivers can enjoy the safety and comfort that polarized lenses provide while driving.

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Scratch Resistant Coating

Unfortunately, all lenses can scratch, so we strongly recommend getting a scratch resistant coating. Plastic lenses are more susceptible to scratches than glass. Scratches damage the cosmetic look of the lenses and can compromise your vision. With a scratch resistant coating, you do not have to worry as much about minor scratches on your lenses.

Another advantage of scratch resistant coatings is that most coatings come with a two-year warranty. They are a great investment to prevent minor scratches. However, it is important to remember that scratch resistant does not mean scratch-proof. All lenses are susceptible to scratches.

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Cosmetic and Specialty Tints

Your glasses do not have to be an eyesore to those around you. Eyeglasses can be a stylish accessory, a part of your personality, or a way for you to be unique. There are a variety of frames to choose from, but you may not know that there are also many ways to improve the appearance of the lenses. Cosmetic tints are now available. These tints offer a variety of colors and shades. You can choose light blue or any other color of the rainbow. Some lenses are clear at the bottom and gradually get more colored towards the top of the lenses. There are many ways to adjust your lenses to whatever style suits your personality. Some tints are also functional.

Recently there has been much attention on a condition called Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS. A special tint for your glasses can reduce eyestrain associated with CVS.

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Specialty Lenses

We all have heard the phrase, “Different strokes for different folks.” Well, this also holds true when it comes to selecting glasses. There are different lenses for just about everybody. No matter what your particular need, there is probably a specialty lens designed for you.

For example, a specialty lens that is becoming increasingly useful is designed for computer users. Computer lenses have “windows” designed for viewing your computer screen, documents on your desk, and distant objects. The lenses are designed to reduce Computer Vision Syndrome, or CVS, which is characterized by headaches, eye strain, neck and back aches, dry eyes, blurred vision, and double vision.