The sun gives you life and gives you energy, but it also ages you a little every day. You can decrease the aging process by taking preventative actions like applying sunscreen and wearing sunglasses.
However, you must first understand how the sun causes aging and how sunglasses protect your eyes and surrounding skin from sun damage.
The Role of the Sun in the Aging Process
According to a recent study published in the journal Clinical, Cosmetic, and Investigational Dermatology, sun exposure causes 80% of visible indicators of aging, including wrinkles, skin laxity, and eye disorders with noticeable side effects.
WRINKLES: The wrinkles around your eyes develop as you squint your eyes to see in strong sunshine. Aside from your reaction to the sun’s brightness, UV rays cook your skin over time, baking wrinkles in place and making you appear older than you are.
SKIN TEXTURE CHANGES: The sun can alter the overall texture of your skin. The longer you leave your skin exposed to the sun without protection, the more leathery and rough it will become.
EYE CONDITIONS: It is not just your skin that has to be concerned about sun damage. Sun exposure can cause sunburn or long-term discolorations, distortions, and growths on your corneas, which could be considered the “skin” covering your eye.
PTOSIS: Droopiness in the skin around your eyes is another indicator of aging; this is known as ptosis, and while it is a normal indication of aging, UV exposure makes it much worse.
PIGMENTATION PROBLEMS: Sunbathing may give you a healthy-looking tan, which is why it is so popular. However, tanning in the sun or a UV-light tanning bed can cause pigmentation issues, especially around the eyes.
How Do Sunglasses Keep Wrinkles at Bay?
What do you do if you do not have sunglasses and walk out into the sun on a bright day? You might lift your hand to shield your eyes from the sun. You may lower your car’s sun visor or try to keep it in the shade. When confronted with intense light, though, your instinct is to squint.
According to the American Academy of Dermatology Association, the more you squint, the deeper the creases in your crow’s feet develop and the older you appear. If you try to concentrate on something with dazzling light in your eyes, your brows will furrow, deepening the wrinkles between your brows.
When you wear sunglasses outside on a sunny day, you would not have to squint to see. You can delay part of the aging process by avoiding squinting (and brow-furrowing in concentration).
How Can Sunglasses Keep Your Eyes Safe From the Sun?
When you go out in the sun without UV protection, it is not just the indications of aging on your skin that you must be concerned about. Sun damage to your eyes is also a possibility.
The sun can burn your corneas and cause long-term damage, such as photokeratitis (corneal sunburn) and cataracts, as well as pterygia and pingueculae.
Sunglasses with UV 400 protection (100 percent UV protection) can help protect your eyes from sun damage.
Look for wrap-around sunglasses if you want to ensure the sun does not get even a glimpse of your eyes. Wrap-around sunglasses are popular among athletes because their curved frames and lenses provide a wider field of vision while also providing sun protection.