Protecting Your Eyes Whilst Skiing

Welcome back to the Roger Pope and Partners blog where we bring you the very latest in our fine selection of eyewear, offer our clinical insights and document that latest goings on of our practice. With March now among us many of our clients look to embrace the change in climate and head to Europe to enjoy the very end of the ski season. As independent opticians, we are often asked how our clients can protect their eyes whilst enjoying their skiing holidays. In today’s blog, we would like to highlight the importance of wearing appropriate eye protection whilst skiing.

Winter sports enthusiasts are at increased risk for overexposure to the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The combination of higher altitude and UV rays reflected by the snow puts skiers and snowboarders at an increased risk of sun damage to the eyes. At an altitude of 9,000 to 10,000 feet, UV radiation may be 35 to 45 percent more intense than at sea level. In addition, snow reflects up to 80 percent of the UV light from the sun, meaning that you are often hit by the same rays twice.

At Roger Pope and Partners we are proud to stock a comprehensive range of ski goggles that offer superior protection from potentially harmful UV rays. The specially designed range of ski goggles by industry leader Adidas have been specifically developed to reduce the impact of UV rays to your eyes. Whatsmore, the goggles are designed to comfortably fit around your head (and head protection should you use it). Not only do the ski goggles offer a comfortable fit but they also offer enhanced physical protection compared to sunglasses should any unwanted objects, such as stones, fly towards your eyes.

Certainly ski goggles are not the only option to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. Many skiers, and fashionistas we may add, choose to wear sunglasses to protect their eyesight. It goes without saying that whilst wearing sunglasses is an option we would recommend wearing specific ski goggles that offer greater physical protection than sunglasses. Indeed, another advantage of using ski goggles is that if they are lost it is not as important as losing a pair of sunglasses, After all, who wants to accidentally lose their beautiful and cherished designer eyewear whilst skiing?

Of course, UV rays do not just damage your eyes if they are unprotected. We recommend that you also apply appropriate suncreams and protection to the areas of your body that are exposed to the sunlight such as your face and decollage areas.

Our expert teams are happy to assist you in finding the perfect ski goggles for your skiing holiday. As opticians in Marylebone, based in New Cavendish Street, we invite you to visit our independent practice where our teams can offer you the very best in service and advise you as to the types of ski goggles we offer.