National Sunglasses Day – Help The Vision Council celebrate National Sunglasses Day by sharing the importance of wearing ultraviolet (UV)-protective sunwear and eyewear on your social media channels. Make sure to use these hashtags. #NationalSunglassesDay #SunglassSelfie
This day is held annually on June 27. The Vision Council has supported National Sunglasses Day since 2014, however, they holiday has been celebrated since 2009.
Make UV protection a family affair. UV damage is cumulative, occurring over a lifetime of exposure. Children are extra vulnerable, so get them in the habit of wearing sunglasses early! This will help to mitigate serious vision problems in the future.
Top 5 Things You Should Know about UV Eye Protection
Despite the importance of always wearing UV-protective sunglasses while outside, many people are still unaware of these key points regarding UV eye protection.
- Despite the health risks of UV exposure, not all sunglasses have UV protection. Since UV protection is crucial to shielding eyes from damaging radiation, it is imperative to look for a label, sticker or tag indicating UV protection before purchasing a pair of sunglasses.
- UV protection has nothing to do with the darkness or color of a lens. Wearing sunglasses with dark lenses without adequate UV protection can actually be worse than wearing no sunglasses at all because they cause the eye’s pupil to dilate, which then increases retinal exposure to the unfiltered UV.
- Children receive three times the annual sun exposure of adults, increasing their susceptibility to UV eye damage. And, unlike the mature ocular lens of an adult eye, a child’s immature lens cannot filter out UV as easily. The need for UV protection for children is compounded by the fact that it is easier to find youth sunglasses that do not provide adequate UV protection. That’s why parents should always have their children‘s sunglasses tested for UV protection.
- UV rays are just as dangerous on cloudy days as they are on clear days. Just like skin, eyes can accumulate harmful UV radiation on overcast days so be sure to wear proper eye and skin protection while outside.
- Similar to cloudy days, cold days also carry UV risk. The sun is present year-round, which means UV rays are a constant regardless of weather. UV rays can’t be seen, but their long-term effects are extremely damaging to the eyes.
Celebrate!
First published June 27, 2018. Last updated or republished June 26, 2019.
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