We all know that we need sunscreen to protect our skin, but sunglasses are just as much if not more of a vital part of your battle against UV damage, cancer, and premature aging and wrinkles. Wearing sunglasses is one of the only ways you can help reduce your risk of blinding conditions like ocular tumors, cataracts, and macular degeneration.  Not to mention the fact that they are best way to protect your delicate eyelid skin from wrinkles and common skin cancers.  And the best thing about sunglasses?  Well they are fashionable of course too.  Just check out some of my favorites from Instagram:

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• 27% of Americans don't wear sunglasses, at all
• 20.2% believe that they "are not at risk from sun exposure"
• 10.8% responded that wearing sunglasses "is not important to them"

Top 25 American Cities with the highest number of days of extreme or very high risk UV damage.  Unfortunately, some of these cities are also some of the worst at wearing sunglasses or believing in their importance  via

Dr. L wearing Maui Jim

Dr. S wearing her favorite cat eye shaped shades

For more articles about why sun protection matters and what your doctor is looking for during an examination that is evidence of sun damage occurring in your eyes, please follow these links:
one, two, three 

 Images of Dr. S and Dr. L are courtesy Melissa DeLorme Photography

Little known fact but today is a national holiday.......at least for your eyes.  June 27th has been deemed National Sunglasses Day, and if you didn't already do so every single time you step outdoors, it is time to rethink the importance of donning a pair.  Sunglasses truly do deserve a day of their own; they may be the ultimate medical  device ever created-- so fashionable and street smart we even forget that they are protecting us sometimes.

Why Should Everyone Wear Sunglasses?

We all know that sun-burnt skin carries an increased risk for skin cancers, and sun damage to the eye is no less dangerous.  The truly scary thing about ocular sun damage is that it can cause serious vision and health issues decades later.  In fact, studies report that as much as 80% of  our lifetime ocular sun damage occurs by age 18.  That means protecting ourselves at an early age is extremely important when we reach our 60s and 70s, when medical conditions like macular degeneration, cataracts, and cancers are more likely to begin developing.  You can learn more here about all of the ocular medical issues that sun damage can cause.  We should all protect ourselves right now to prevent problems later, and with sunglasses it is never too young to start.

Look closely in the mirror.  Do you notice a small elevation or a yellowish tint to the white of the eye around 3 or 9 o'clock?  That is likely a pinguecula, a growth on the eye from sun exposure.  It is not cancerous, but can cause the eye to look chronically red and irritated, can make contact lenses much less comfortable, and is often associated with worsened dry eye issues.  Sunglasses can prevent pinguecula formation, and if you already have them, they can also keep the pinguecula from getting bigger and turning into a pterygium (below) which can cause serious visual issues.

If I haven't convinced you yet of the medical need for sunglasses, don't you want to look younger?

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Have you ever noticed that as we age our eyes tend to yellow and discolor, and of course wrinkles develop around the eyelid skin.  The aging process and the appearance we associate with it is really exacerbated by sun damage. In addition to UV exposure being a major health and eye disease risk, it also causes some very common changes to the ocular surface that can be cosmetically disturbing to patients.  I often have patients ask me in the exam room how they can make their eyes look brighter and whiter (and younger).  Sunglasses are essential to keeping the conjunctiva (a vascular tissue that lies over the white of the eye) clear and un-inflamed.  Sun damage quite commonly causes thickening and hardening of this vascular layer and the result is often pinguecula or even more aggressive ptergyia growths on the eye.  These conditions are irreversible, and once these growths develop they cannot be removed without surgery (and unfortunately they tend to grow back).   If you have chronic dryness issues, sun damage can be a major factor for why your eyes looks so chronically red and irritated.  Growths on the eye from excessive sun exposure are one of the first places that will dry out with computer use or in dry environments, making your eyes red, dry, and even watery.  Growths like pinguecula don't start forming just when we are older -- they are a result of sun damage that occurred when we were children or teenagers in most cases.  Protecting the eyes from childhood can prevent these growths and the dryness and irritation that can cause, but it is never too late to start wearing sunglasses now.  You can't reverse the damage you have already suffered, but you can keep it from getting even worse.

Want a new pair of sunglasses?  Luckily my good friend and fellow blogger Dr. Glover at Eye See Euphoria is raffling off 2 great pair of sunglasses today.  Enter now for a chance to win a free pair of 100% UV blocking protection, with a lot of style thrown in for good measure -- just what we want in our favorite pair of sunglasses.  Click the picture of the pair you prefer to link to his site and enter for the giveaway.

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It wouldn't be fitting to wrap up the Eyedolatry Sunglasses Initiative of 2013 without featuring Dr. G over at Eye See Euphoria. The man knows how to style a pair of glasses, be it with ophthalmics in his daily wear or when he is sporting suns on the beaches of the Dominican Republic.  Cue the photo gallery:

Versace Sunglasses

Maybe a new campaign in the works?

As an optometrist, Dr. G always speaks about the protective health benefits of sunglasses on his blog, but he also writes about styling men's and women's frames for you fashion readers out there.  If you are interested in learning more about current designer frames on the market, his website is a great launching point!


I hope that our feature of local bloggers has inspired you to reach for your sunglasses this month. Whether you are buying designer labels or sunglasses over the counter, just remember that those lenses are medical devices and you are protecting yourself and being fashionable with the summer's latest trends at the same time. Never compromise on your own safety standards with sunglasses -- make sure your lenses are at least 98% UV blocking; in today's market there is never an excuse to sacrifice protection for style!

Time for another local blogger that is truly embracing the message here with the Eyedolatry Sunglasses Initiative.  Christina at Carolina Charm  is a huge supporter of sun protection.  She even blogged about her daily routine to here.  What I love about featuring a lifestyle blogger like Christina is that she is showing us that sunglasses aren't just about fashion.  They are a product that she wears for function and protection, and fashion is the frosting on top.

When you are buying over-the-counter sunglasses, it can be hard to know how much protection you are really going to get from wearing them.  The truth is, not all sunglasses available for purchase really meet the standards required to protect you from diseases like macular degeneration or cancers, or painful conditions like photokeratitis (a sunburn of the eye).  Here's what you need to know before swiping your credit card:

• Know Your UV Coverage

  A sticker  like this verifies 100% UV Blocking, so make sure your OTC sunglasses have this sticker too! Via

If you haven't seen the styling of Megan from For All Things Lovely, you have probably never been on Pinterest before.  This South Carolina blogger dishes out fashion hits on a daily basis, and her sunglasses wardrobe makes even me envious.  I had such a hard time narrowing down her best sunglasses styles; this post is going to be very picture heavy.

What does she look for in sunglasses?

"I always go for sunnies that have a cat eye shape or a classic aviator.  I've tried to branch out so many times, but those shapes just seem to glam up any outfit.  And always, always have at least a little bit of gold or silver on them.  You can never go wrong with metallic's."

She is an expert at remixing her sunglasses to create casual and more sophisticated looks.  And she really knows how to fit the shape of her face with a designer's frame shape.  If you need sunglass inspiration, look no further.

Karen Walker Sunglasses

Ray Ban Sunglasses

Prada Sunglasses

Even her husband knows how to rock a good pair of sunglasses.

Scarring from Macular Degeneration

Megan from For All Things Lovely--our next Carolina Style Blogger to Be Featured this week!