Annoying glare is one of the most common reasons glasses end up in a drawer rather than on a person’s face. Light indoor tints or anti-reflective coatings can reduce or eliminate this problem. Soft pinks and grays are the most common tint colors used to reduce glare. Pink can soften the edge appearance of the glasses, making them blend better into the face and warm up skin tones. Light gray can have the same effect, but it can also deepen the appearance of under-eye circles or an uneven skin tone.
Scratch-resistant coating should always be applied. This is an inexpensive coating that can greatly lengthen the life of your lenses. The other coating that no pair of glasses should be without is a clear ultra-violet protective coating.
Ultra-violet coatings eliminate the danger of damaging sun exposure to the eyes, which has been linked to the growth of cataracts and the incidence of eye diseases such as macular degeneration and glaucoma. Cataracts, once formed, can be surgically removed, but glaucoma and macular degeneration are not reversible and can lead to blindness.
Ultra-violet rays are not only emitted from the sun, but from televisions, computer screens, and the fluorescent lighting commonly found in clinical environments. Protect your vision—have a UV coating applied. Tint alone will not protect your sight.