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In Which I Get My First Progressive Lenses

I’ve had a lot of questions about my new eyeglasses, and I’ve been meaning to write this post for a while now, but life keeps getting in the way. The kids are finally back to school, and life is settling into some semblance of normal once again, so it’s time to tell you about my experience at LensCrafters. I’m excited to partner with them on this post about eye health and the latest trends in eyeglasses.

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I’ve worn eyeglasses or contacts since I was in middle school, so regular eye exams have always been a habit for me because it is sort of important to see, and I happen to value that ability. I totally took it for granted that those routine eye exams play a role in my overall health and wellness. Did you know that regular eye exams are important even for people who do not need glasses??

Annual eye exams don’t only detect vision deficiencies, but they may also detect diseases such as diabetes and glaucoma. I had no idea you could detect diabetes from an eye exam, but I mentioned it to a friend, and she acted like it was common knowledge. Maybe I’ve been living under a rock, but I figure if I didn’t know, you may not know. So now you know.

LensCrafters invited me to bring the kids in for AccuExams before they went back to school, and it was there that I learned about the importance of getting regular eye exams to ensure the whole family maintains healthy vision, eye health, and overall health.

I’ve shopped at LensCrafters before, but I’ve never had an eye exam there, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Our visit started off on the right foot when the doctor came out and greeted me like a long lost friend. She is full of personality, and we hit it off immediately. I brought my two older children — my 15-year-old son, who has an eyeglasses prescription already but rarely wears them, and my 12-year-old daughter, who hasn’t been flagged for vision problems yet, but because of her age and our family history, I figured could use a thorough checkup.

Each of us experienced a LensCrafters AccuExam, and the doctor explained each step of the process, how each machine worked, and what she was looking for. I liked that she took us all in together and kept us moving through the process instead of examining us one-by-one. It seemed more efficient this way, and I am all about efficiency. The whole process only took about 45 minutes for all three of us.

eye-exam

My daughter is still good to go. (Lucky duck!!) My son received a stronger prescription, and he also was fitted for a new pair of frames since he has grown significantly since his last pair.

And me? I am 43, and I got my first pair of progressive lenses. Not only did I get regular eyeglasses in progressive lenses, but I also got sunglasses because one of the reasons I don’t wear glasses more often is because I like to wear sunglasses when I’m driving.

Progressive lenses are the bifocals of the 21st century. Here’s how they work:

Progressive lenses help increase edge-to-edge clarity and offer a full range of vision correction, from up-close objects to those in the distance. There’s no taking off one pair of glasses to put on another and no peering over the bifocals as your grandmother may have done. Progressive lenses allow a more natural, flattering way of seeing your world.

They have a great selection of frames at LensCrafters. I’ve actually shopped there before for eyeglasses, and I like the selection and the customer service.

lens-crafters

They showed us how to use their myLook app to choose frames that are right for our personal styles and face shapes. It did help me narrow down what I liked, but then, of course, we each tried on several pairs before we found The Ones.

Larger plastic frames are on trend right now, and I like the look. Plus, for progressive lenses, it helps to have a larger lens to work with. I ended up with these plastic tort frames by Tiffany & Co. They’re GORGEOUS. I love the blue and brown twisted tort and the bling on the side. Plus they come with a groovy Tiffany blue case.

tiffany-eyeglasses

I also chose sunglasses with black plastic frames by Tory Burch. I love these. I feel so very Jackie O. I had a pair (not prescription) that were very similar, but I left them in a cab in Arizona, so I was thrilled to replace them.

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Big frames are trendy right now, but I also like them because they’re practical. They provide more sun protection than smaller frames, and the plastic frames easily accommodate my thick progressive lenses.

Tory Burch Sunglasses

Another hot trend right now is aviators, and I tried on a few pairs, but these looked so much better on me. It’s great to be in tune with current trends, but you always want to choose styles that look good on over what is trendy. This is true of course for all matters of fashion, not just eyeglasses.

Thankfully, I didn’t find it hard to get used to my progressive lenses. I had to wear glasses for a few days because I’d scratched my eye and it needed to breathe, and after a day of wearing them, I was pretty comfortable with them. Now when I go to put them on, I don’t even notice that they’re different from my old glasses.

Best of all, LensCrafters can make most eyeglasses in their onsite lab in less than an hour while you shop the mall. Because of my progressive lenses, we did have to come back at a later date, but my son’s glasses would have been ready if we’d decided to wait.

They used their AccuFit digital measurement system to custom fit our frames, and then when we went back to retrieve our glasses, they took time tweaking each pair so they are comfortable. They also made sure we had all the eyedrops and cleaning supplies we need to keep our glasses in tip-top shape. We were encouraged to come back in at any time if they stretch out or get bent. I’ve actually taken advantage of that service in the past with my old glasses, and they are always accommodating.

I also tried bifocal contacts, but I didn’t love them, and I went back to my regulars for the time being. I have a lot of those left, and I don’t want them to go to waste. When they run out, I’ll go back to the doctor and see what we can do about finding the best option for my old 40-something eyes.

The eye doctor stressed the importance of NOT wearing my contacts 24/7 — which I have a bad habit of doing. She instructed me to put on glasses when I wake up in the morning, and put my contacts in before doing my makeup (with clean hands, of course!) Always wash off any lotions and potions before putting your contacts in. Then she says she takes her contacts out when she gets home from work and puts her glasses on. I’ve been putting my glasses on when I get up and wearing them until I get ready for the day, but I never remember to take my contacts out at dinnertime. I guess it’s a start! I’m all for practicing good eye care habits. I need these peepers to last a long time.

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Now that I have such cute frames as well as prescription sunglasses for when I need to drive, I don’t mind wearing glasses at all, and I feel good about giving my eyes an occasional break from the contacts.

My son declined my invitation to model his new specs, but he looks pretty handsome wearing them, if I do say so myself. His prescription is still mild, so he doesn’t wear them all the time, but he will definitely need them when he starts driving this fall.

Our eye exams and eye glasses were provided by LensCrafters to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

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14 Responses

  1. I have transition lenses that I use. I never had prescription sunglasses, because I 1. Hate to change my glasses and 2. Would probably lose them.

    But I have to say, those sunglasses really are cute! Maybe at some point in the future I may try have separate glasses/sunglasses, but right now, I like my transitions.

  2. The glasses look great. My son Loves Transitions. I think spend more time going to the eye doctor for everyone in the family now it is my time to go. Thanks for the reminder

  3. I really need to try transition lenses next time I get new glasses. I think I would wear my glasses much more often if I had the transitions! I love both pair of glasses you picked. They both look amazing on you!

  4. Jolene you look GORGEOUS in your glasses!! 🙂
    Also– AWESOME that you were able to get the glasses in an hour! I didn’t know Lenscrafters did that!

  5. My eye doctor just informed me that I need progressives. I had a few choice words for her, but have to admit she’s right. The frames you picked out are gorgeous and exactly like what I’ve been looking for! Thank you so much for sharing the designer’s name — now I know what to look for. 🙂

  6. Switching to progressive lenses was a huge adjustment for me too! With 3 family members who wear glasses or contacts eye care is very important for our family and an investment worth making.

  7. I am not ready! I am going to go kicking and screaming … but secretly I am wearing bifocal contacts. Shhhh!!
    Sadley I am at the strongest Rx for those so Progressives are coming soon.
    Great frame choices!

  8. Time to get my kids in. I got a pair of specs in larger frames plum (outside) and blue (inside). I’m like you in that I wear them secondary to contacts. I have extended wear contacts, but I still try to wear them like dailies. Sometimes I choose the lazy way and sleep with them in though–then I have to pour a whole bunch of saline on my eyes just to be able to blink well in the morning. LOL

    My son has been in transitions progressives for a long time. The only problem with them is that they don’t change in the car which is no bueno. When he’s officially driving more, I’ll tackle that issue then. Been going to my local eye doctor, but she’s so hard to get into and it takes over a week to get the glasses in, so maybe we’ll go back to lens crafters.

  9. You will really enjoy the progressive lenses if you are like me. I’ve worn them for many years, since about the time I was your age, and never had any problem adjusting to them. I wore contact prior but had to stop due to terrible dry eye problems that wouldn’t even let me wear the extended wear just during the day. If you are near-sighted like me, you may find as you age that you start having problems with night vision. One thing I can definitely recommend at that time is to get the non-glare coating on your lenses. It will make a world of difference!!! I really like your new frames and they are very becoming on you! Enjoy!

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