Once upon a time, when the good old NHS supplied all of our glasses, lenses were all glass, and we got new specs at a very low price whenever we wanted them. Nowadays however, the NHS have got bigger problems than your specs, and most lenses sold in the UK are private dispensings in plastic. To the consumer, this is a lighter weight, safer, more comfortable product, of equal optical quality to glass. The only problem is that plastic needs a little more care and cosseting than the tough old glass lenses of old.
Plastic is a softer material than glass, so most lenses come with a standard scratch resistant coating – please note the word resistant – not scratch proof! So if you allow anything abrasive to some into contact with your lens, it will be irreversibly marked. This is a problem if the defect cuts across your line of vision, and it may impair your sight, especially for night driving.
Here are our top five causes of scratched lenses!
1.Something stored in the case with the specs, examples we’ve heard of have been keys, coins, a nail file (!!) and a credit card.
2.Laying specs face down, this will give you a stripe straight down the centre off the lens, where it’s curved surface rocks against desks or tables etc.
3.Polishing specs on t shirt, dirty hankies etc, if you don’t wash your lenses with soapy water before polishing, abrasive particles on the lenses will be polished into the lens surface.
4.Twigs! You’d be amazed how many people walk into bushes etc in the garden, and get an artistic jagged line engraved across their lens. At least it hurts less than a poke in the actual eye!
5.Not using a case is another popular one, specs get stuffed into pockets, handbags, car door pockets, and lurking abrasives can then damage unprotected lenses. Always use a case, preferably a rigid one that gives plenty of protection to the frame too.
So take care of your specs, and your lenses will take care of you, giving you clear sight for as long as your prescription lasts.
