Look again: Fake shades may damage your eyes forever

The Gulf’s hot and humid climate, especially the long summer, makes wearing eye protection an essential part of daily life.

With the summer about to start, companies marketing sunglasses and other eyewear are bullish. However, they are worried about a number of duplicate and substandard sunglasses available in the market, which they claim can be harmful to the wearer’s eyes.

Speaking to Emirates 24|7, M.S. Reddy, General Manager, Derivision, a regional distributor of De Rigo Vision SpA, Italy, said the eyewear market in the region booms during the summer because sunglasses are not considered as a luxury here.

“The Gulf experiences hot weather for a major part of the year, hence sunglasses are used to protect eyes rather than as a fashion accessory,” he said.

“People in this part of the world have high disposable income, which allows them to use not only high-end eyewear, but also luxury eye accessories,” he said, speaking about growing sales figures for sunglasses.

Reddy has a word of caution about eye care products that customers buy, as the market is flooded with counterfeits. “The eyewear market has faced the problem of counterfeits at all times. Counterfeiting is a huge problem as some of the fakes look better than the original. Multiple parallel suppliers are also encouraged to push the products in the market because of the demand,” he added.

 “It’s a constant struggle between manufacturers, distributors and counterfeits. Even though we register the brands legally, the supply of fake sunglasses to the market is continuous. People should avoid buying counterfeits as these glasses do not offer UV radiation protection which could damage your eyes,” he added.

“Summer in the UAE is for an extended period with temperatures ranging from 40 degrees Celsium to almost 50 degrees,” he said. “Ultra violet radiation is direct during this period. Hence sunglasses with ultraviolet protection compatible with FDA guidelines should be preferred compared to ordinary ones,” he said.

On an overcast day, harmful UV rays can cause sunburn of both the skin and the cornea of the eye. Over time, unprotected exposure to the sun can increase the risk of some types of cataracts and potentially damage the retina, which could lead to blindness. It is, therefore, important to wear genuine sunglasses which offer good UV protection. Polarised lenses are best and it is essential to check the quality mark of the sunglasses before purchasing, said Reddy.

Studies have shown that increased use of laptops and mobile phones causes eye strain, dry or watery eyes, itching or burning eyes and increased sensitivity to light. With the increased negative impact on the eye, the demand for ophthalmic lenses has increased.

Ageing too is a major factor contributing to the increase in demand for protective glasses – population above 40 years of age have reading and vision difficulties which makes the ophthalmic lenses a core area of the eyewear market.

Derivision markets not just ordinary sunglasses in the price range of Dh2,000 to Dh4,000, there is one branded product valued at a whopping Dh1.5 million!

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