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Should We All Be Wearing Blue Light Glasses?
An optician reveals the benefits of the protective eyewear Brittany Cartwright, Cameran Eubanks, and Lindsay Hubbard have all worn.
By now, you've probably heard people buzzing about blue light glasses, which supposedly have mystical benefits (whether or not you have an eyewear prescription) like better sleep and alleviating headaches. Bravo stars are on the bandwagon too: Vanderpump Rules' Brittany Cartwright and Southern Charm's Cameran Eubanks have both partnered with DIFF Eyewear to curate their own blue light glasses designs, and in a recent episode of Summer House, Lindsay Hubbard showed off her own stylish pair.
No doubt Brittany, Cameran, and Lindsay look super chic in their eyewear, but what are the actual benefits of blue light blocking spectacles and who should be wearing them? BravoTV.com chatted with DIFF Optician Trisha Chapdelaine to get the tea.
What are the benefits of blue light lenses?
TC: Blue light is unavoidable and potentially damaging. Blue light emitted from digital devices may cause damage with excessive use. Filtering that blue light can help reduce eye strain, dryness, and fatigue to improve focus and reduce headaches during long term screen use. The 20-20-20 rule is also a great tool to assist the benefits of wearing blue light lenses: Look at something more than 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
Who should wear blue light lenses and how often?
TC: Since blue light is just about everywhere, it would benefit everyone to wear them all the time. Blue light comes from the sun, digital devices, and various types of lighting. Most studies are targeting the long and short term effects of digital screen use such as phone, tablet, and computer so it is especially recommended to wear them while using these digital devices.
Should people wear non-prescription blue light glasses even if they don’t need vision correction?
TC: Absolutely. You can still offer your eyes protection even if you do not have a prescription. It is well known that sunglasses prevent ultra-violet damage and are recommended to everyone to wear for protection. Blue light filtering glasses should be thought of in a similar way.
What’s the difference between blue-blocker lenses and other types (blue/green blockers, orange lens blue-blockers, etc)?
TC: Blue-blocker lenses actually block out all blue light as opposed to filtering it. They are typically orange/amber in color and will change your color perception while wearing them. Wearing blue light blocking lenses or green light blocking lenses are typically for activities that would require a need for that specifically. One example of this need would be a dental technician that uses curing lights and would need to filter or block harmful and concentrated amounts of blue and green light.
