It is no secret that UV light can be detrimental to our skin, and our eyes are not excluded from its damage. In fact, UV exposure can lead to our eyes getting sunburned, and on a larger scale can cause corneal damage, cataracts, and even lead to macular degeneration. Of course, all this can be avoided by looking after our eyes, and by taking the appropriate action to shield them from the sun and its harmful UV rays.

When protecting our eyes, we need to look for protection that blocks UV rays, not just from the glare of the sun. It is important to mention that the sun does not have to be in full glare to transmit high UV radiation levels. Cloudy days are also candidates for UV rays to break through, as cloud cover cannot block all rays. Other than directly transmitting from the sun, these rays can be reflected off smooth surfaces such as water, sand, and snow- giving more reason to protect our eyes from sources all around us.

What is UVA and UVB rays?

To give our eyes the maximum protection, we are looking for protection against both UVA and UVB rays. UVA and UVB rays are the two types of ultraviolet rays that reach the Earth’s surface. Both UVA and UVB rays contribute to causes of skin cancer, with there being approximately 500 times more UVA rays in sunlight than UVB. UVA rays have a lower amount of energy compared to UVB rays, and penetrate deep into the skin, causing signs of aging. Where UVB rays, even though they only make up 5% of the sun’s UV radiation, have a high energy that causes sunburn to the top layer of skin. The effects of UVA and UVB also affect our eyes which can lead to serious complications.

Prescription sunglasses vs contact lenses

For people who wear glasses, this is where prescription sunglasses come into play. Prescriptive sunglasses are custom made sunglasses with UV protective lenses that usually block at least 99% of UVA and UVB radiation. Yet, this option can be costly, and may not be viable for everybody. So, what does this mean for contact lens wearers? Does wearing contacts actually help to protect our eyes from the sun? The good news is there are lenses that protect our eyes against harmful UVA and UVB rays. These lenses are made with built in UV blockers that can block a minimum of 50%-90% UVA rays and 95%-99% UVB rays. Although, not all contacts contain this, so be sure to check your lenses to see if they are UV protective. Read to the end where I will list a range of products that we stock that come with both UV blockers.

However, it is important to note that even if your lenses offer UV protection, they alone are not enough to give your eyes full protection, especially if UV levels are high. As your lens only covers your cornea, it leaves the rest of your eye exposed to potential damage. But instead of needing prescriptive sunglasses, a good pair of polarised sunglasses to wear over the top of your contact lenses offers 100% UV protection. This provides much more of an economic option too, by saving cost on purchasing prescriptive sunglasses, whilst offering full protection to your eyes.

Final thoughts…

All in all, to answer your question is yes, some contact lens brands do offer UV protection against UVA and UVB rays. Wearing these lenses may not be enough on their own to fully protect your eyes, yet they do provide a high percentage of protection compared to a regular pair of glasses. This level of protection is adequate on low to mid-range UV, and is especially good on those days where you do not have your sunglasses handy. This way, you can feel safe knowing there is a barrier between your eyes and the UV. But do not deprive your contact lenses from a pair of sunglasses, as the two are made to go hand in hand- offering added protection against UV rays. Hence, pairing your contacts with a polarised pair of sunglasses will stop UV radiation in its tracks, and help to keep your eyes healthy.

Brands that contain UV protection

We stock a couple brands on our site that covers you against harmful UV rays. These brands come in a range of contacts to suit your requirements.

Acuvue-

All lenses in the Acuvue range contain a UV blocking ingredient that is incorporated into the lens material which gives permanent protection without wearing off. All Acuvue lenses blocks at least 82% of UVA and 97% of UVB radiation, making it one of the leading brands in protection against UV rays. The Acuvue range includes:

Acuvue Moist (1 Day)

Acuvue Moist Astigmatism (1 Day)

Acuvue Tru Eye (1 Day)

Acuvue Oasys Hydraclear Plus (Bi-Weekly)

Coopervision-

The Coopervision Clariti range has a built-in UV blocker in their lenses which protect up to 50% of UVA and 90% of UVB radiation. The Clariti range comes in a variety of options which are listed below:

Coopervision Clariti (1 Day)

Coopervision Clariti Multifocal (1 Day)

Coopervision Clariti Toric (1 Day)

The sun can cause great damage to our eyes, so if UV contacts are something you would like to try, check out our range of UV blocking contact lenses by clicking the products below.