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How do I Choose the Best Prescription Glasses?
Choosing the best prescription glasses normally involves finding frames that complement your facial shape while still feeling comfortable. Keep in mind that you are usually not required to fulfill the prescription at the same office the eye doctor wrote it. A rising number of people are taking their vision prescription to another company that sells eyeglasses or ordering the glasses online after virtually trying them on. Trying on prescription glasses is often important to choosing the best ones, either to gauge how well they look on your face shape, if your vision is hindered by the frames, or if they are comfortable enough to wear on a regular basis.
Before making an appointment with an eye doctor, you may want to look over the prescription glasses he or she has available. If there are no eyeglasses that seem suitable, ask for the company’s policy on taking the prescription elsewhere. In some jurisdictions, such as the United States and the United Kingdom, it is illegal for the company to withhold your prescription and demand that you purchase the lenses or frames from them. Once the prescription is in your hands, you can order prescription eyeglasses from other brick-and-mortar companies or Internet retailers, though the latter must be done with caution to avoid getting ill-fitting or counterfeit frames.
Choosing prescription eyeglasses that suit your face shape is especially important to some people. For some face shapes, a person might choose glasses that soften hard-edged features. People with soft, rounded faces may wish to choose angled glasses with curves to accent the face. When paying attention to face shapes when picking glasses, the typical goal is to balance the face and discover visual harmony by choosing frames with complimentary angles and lines.
One way of sampling prescription glasses before purchasing or physically trying them on is to try them on virtually. Many online services allow you to do this, but most of them are fairly similar. These services typically allow you to upload a picture of your face, often advising that the picture displays your face in a symmetrical way with the face squarely facing the camera. Once the picture is uploaded onto the service, you may be asked to identify certain areas of the face, such as the eyes, to help the software work properly. After this setup work, you will normally be able to sample different styles and types of glasses, seeing how all of them look on your face without trying them on physically.
Discussion Comments
Buying glasses online is good, if you know exactly what you want, or you just want to try something new and you're not terribly concerned about appearance.
Personally, I'd rather go with a brick and mortar store. The one requirement I have for glasses is that they have the spring loaded hinges so the earpieces move in and out to adjust the fit.
I like plastic frames, but they do tend to deteriorate faster than metal ones. I solved the problem by coating the earpieces with clear nail polish. You can't see it and it preserves my glasses for a lot longer.
I got my glasses at my optometrist's office. He has a huge selection and I was there, so I went ahead and bought them from him. I got a discount, too!
Frames are a really individual thing, so everybody is going to want something different. I wouldn't wear anything but wire frames, but my sister likes plastic frames. Metal frames are much more comfortable and seem to fit my head better. All the plastic frames I tried on seemed to press in at my temples and gave me a headache. I didn't have that problem with the wire frames. Plus, they just feel lighter.
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