Novelty sunglasses do more harm than good, Time reports

October 23, 2009

Could those cheap sunglasses be harmful to your eyes? According to Time magazine, plastic shades without UV protection could do more harm than good if worn on sunny days.

Harmful rays can gain easy access to your eye through your pupil. So when dark sunglasses cause your pupils to dilate, but do not actually protect your retina from the harmful rays, the most damage can occur.

"Sunglasses without UVA and UVB protection simply filter out the ambient light, the glare," Dr. Wayne Bizer, spokesman for the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AOA) told the magazine. "They don't do anything to protect you."

Shades don't have to be pricey to protect your peepers. Just make sure to check tags and stickers for verification of UV protection before plunking down your cash. And don't be fooled by the common misconception that darker lenses mean more protection. The AOA actually recommends purchasing gray-tinted sunglasses for proper color recognition.

Because many experts believe that 80 percent of our exposure to UV rays happens before the age of 18, make sure to outfit infants and children with protective shades of their own.