How Are Frames Different For Kids?
Want to change the way you think about glasses? Well consider that they are technically medical appliances, in the same general category as false teeth, prosthetic limbs or a steel plate in your head. It's just that we are so used to them that we don't think of them as such. Safety must come first when you're putting something breakable less than a quarter inch from your eye. Not to put too fine a point on this, but the days of glass lenses are over, Over OVER!
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You want your kids to have glass "ez", not glass "Ize":
Anytime someone wears something as close to his eye as eyeglasses, you want to be sure that those lenses will not break or shatter, possibly causing injury to the eye itself. This is far more important in children's eyewear than in adult eyewear. Children spend a good portion of the day bumping into things, especially at the toddler stage. Impact-resistant lenses are the lens of choice. Not just impact-resistant but the MOST impact-resistant lenses. Make sure your child's lenses are made out of polycarbonate or Trivex, as opposed to glass or plastic. Polycarbonate lenses are even bullet proof! No really, although I don't recommend you try this, just take my word for it: they are the strongest lenses you can buy. In addition, both Trivex and Polycarbonate are scratch-resistant and provide full ultraviolet protection. Even more important, these lenses are both ultra-lightweight, allowing your child to be more comfortable while wearing them. In my dispensary, I refuse to sell plastic or glass lenses at all. Like a board with a nail sticking out of it, they are an accident waiting to happen.
Your kid has never even seen a Coke Bottle:
The majority of preschool children are farsighted. This requires a lens which is thicker in the center and thinner on the edge. The problem with this is that when lenses are cut out, they are cut out from a much larger circular blank. Since children's lenses by their nature are so small, most of the thin part of the blank is cut off so it can be fit into a child-sized frame. This results in an unnecessarily thick lens. In these circumstances I would fit a child with polycarbonate or Trivex ASPHERIC lens. Aspheric type lenses have very flat curves which evens out the thickness through the entire lens blank. The result is a much thinner, flatter lens with less magnification. If your child has a high magnification factor: if the number on their prescription is higher than, say +3.00, you should consider aspheric lenses. Not only will they be lighter, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much more normal your child's eyes will look from your side of the lenses!
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