1. Practice Proper Hand Hygiene You might be wondering what washing your hands has to do with seeing clearly, but our hands often carry dirt and oil while imperceptible to us, can smear or blur the lens of your glasses. We recommend regularly cleaning your hands and avoid directly touching your lenses to ensure your glasses perform their best. 2. Implement Regular Cleaning Routines Cleanliness is next to..wait, what were we saying? After your hands are sparkling clean, its time to make sure your specs are speckless. You can use lukewarm water to rinse away particles and gently apply friction with a densely woven cloth to wipe away stuck residue. After drying the frames, clean the lenses with a microfiber cloth. Be careful to avoid paper towels or rough materials that can scratch lenses. 3. Master the Correct Drying Method After cleaning comes drying. It may sound tedious but we really cannot stress how important proper cleaning and drying of your frames are. The right drying technique is crucial for maintaining clear vision. Always reach for a clean microfiber cloth and pat your lenses dry instead of rubbing, which can create micro-scratches. In fact, small radial or circular movements while drying is the ultimate technique. Once dried, store your microfiber cloth in the associated hard protective glasses case for safe keeping. This helps you keep track of the cloth, ensure it doesn’t collect dust, or debris that could damage your lenses. 4. Avoid Chemical Exposure Chemicals here means any oils or residue or all around ‘sticky stuff’ that you may come into contact with day to day. Keep your classes away from household cleaners, cosmetics or hairsprays. Instead place your glasses aside while doing your morning routine and remember to wash your hands once finished. 5. Prevent Heat Damage A surprisingly common issue our customers run into is unexpected heat damage or wear. While our frames are made of the highest quality materials, they are not indestructible. We suggest you avoid leaving your glasses in hot cars, keep them away from direct heat sources like radiators or room heaters, and to try to avoid leaving them in direct sunlight. 6. Master Proper Handling Techniques Think of your glasses like a CD or a computer screen. While you can touch them with your bare hands and fingertips, it’s best that you avoid that. The accumulation of dirt, oil, and grease can adversely affect the lifespan of your lenses. It’s important to try and hold your glasses by the temple arms, avoid directly touching the lenses, and wear your glasses on your face or store them safely instead of placing them up on top of your head or in your hair. 7. Perform Regular Maintenance Checks Monitor your eyewear's condition by regularly checking the hinges and nose bridge, tightening them as needed. Verify alignment and if necessary bring them to an eyewear professional to ensure your frames are in tip top shape! 8. Practice Safe Placement Protect your lenses when not wearing them! This means knowing how to place them when they’re not on your face, how to store them and where to store them. Always place them lens side up, this avoids unnecessary contact with the lenses and any hard or rough surfaces. Additionally putting them in the middle of surfaces away from the edges and in places you’re unlikely to lose them prevents accidents and breaks. 9. Implement Proper Storage Solutions A hard-shell case is your glasses' best friend when they're off-duty. Store them in a cool, dry spot away from other items that could scratch or damage them. Skip tossing them in bags or purses where they'll get banged around. At home, use dedicated eyeglass stands or hooks to keep them secure and within easy reach. 10. Maintain Regular Eye Examinations There it is the big 1 0, our final tip is Have your optometrist inspect frame adjustments and discuss any comfort issues. These regular visits help catch vision changes early and ensure your eyewear continues serving you well. While your eye doctor might not always been a technical expert they can at least point you in the right direction and diagnose any issues you’ve been having with your frames.  

We understand. Trying to decrypt your eyeglasses prescription is daunting! What do all these letters and numbers mean? It can feel like you need 10 years of college to understand what all of this means. However, you don’t need to be an expert to understand what's best for your eye health. This guide will break down each constituent element of your prescription to have you looking and feeling your best. Understanding Your Eye Prescription: The Basics At the most basic level, a prescription is a set of instructions your optometrist (that's a fancy term for eye doctor) provides to you that specifies the lens type needed to correct your vision. It’s made up of the following key components: To better understand your prescription, it's important to know what OD and OS mean in eye prescriptions. If your prescription includes astigmatism correction, you’ll also see values like cylinder (CYL) and axis in an eye prescription. For reading or multifocal lenses, your doctor may include an ADD value for near vision. Another key measurement is pupillary distance (PD), which ensures your lenses are properly aligned. Prescription strength is measured in terms of diopters, which indicate how much correction your eyes need. Eye Designation in Prescriptions (OD, OS, OU) Your prescription uses specific terminology rooted in medical science to refer to your eyes: OD (Oculus Dexter): Refers to your right eye OS (Oculus Sinister): Refers to your left eye OU (Oculus Uterque): When present, refers to both eyes Sphere Power (SPH) in Eyeglass Prescriptions Sphere power indicates the main lens power needed to correct your vision: Plus (+) Values: Correct farsightedness (hyperopia) Minus (-) Values: Correct nearsightedness (myopia) Higher numbers indicate stronger prescriptions Measured in diopters Cylinder (CYL) for Astigmatism Correction Cylinder power addresses astigmatism correction: Is written as either a positive or negative value Corresponds to your type of astigmatism Works in relationship with SPH Indicates the additional power needed for astigmatism correction Understanding Axis in Eye Prescriptions The axis number is crucial for astigmatism correction: Measured in degrees from 1 to 180 Indicates the orientation of astigmatism Essential for proper lens alignment Does not ndicate prescription strength ADD Power for Presbyopia ADD power is specifically for near-vision correction: Often used in bifocal and progressive lenses Indicates additional magnification needed for reading Prism Correction in Eyeglass Prescriptions Some prescriptions include prism correction: Measured in diopters, which refers to the focusing strength of your prescription Helps align your eyes correctly How Does Your Prescription Affect Eyewear Choices? It's tempting to leave all the heavy lifting to the experts, but understanding your prescription affects your consumer and health decisions in the following ways: Selecting Prescription Lenses Think of your prescription as the blueprint for your personal reality enhancers. They dictate everything from lens thickness to material options, and yes, how much you’ll need to bug your insurance company for coverage. Advanced Lens Options for Prescriptions Welcome to the optical buffet, where your prescription strength determines the menu. High-index lenses are like shapewear for your glasses, while toric lenses rescue you from the distortions of astigmatism. While progressive lenses are your all-rounders, perfect for whatever daily life throws at them. Customizing Your Prescription Eyewear Time to accessorize! Anti-reflective coatings banish those UFO-light circles in photos, while UV protection keeps your eyes from getting sunburned (yes, really). Blue light filtering claims to save you from screen addiction, and impact-resistant materials protect against life's little accidents—like when your cat decides your glasses are a toy. Professional Consultation Tips Eye doctors are the good guys. They’re specially trained and here to help you see your best. However, they’re not mind readers. Come prepared to appointments with questions and concerns, and never feel shy or ashamed of asking. After all, it’s your vision and eye health on the line. Maintaining Current Prescriptions For optimal vision care, you can do a few things to work with your existing prescription: Check your vision regularly. Schedule an annual eye exam and get your blinkers taken care of. Monitor and take note of vision changes, especially as you approach age 40. Difficulty focusing or blurry vision might be a sign to change your prescription. Speaking of changing your prescription, if you’re experiencing eye strain or frequent headaches, that can also be a sign your glasses aren’t working for you, and you may need to update them. Online Eyeglass Shopping with Your Prescription Ordering something as important as eyewear online can be scary and fraught with issues. Here are some tips to ensure a successful transaction: Double- and triple-checking all prescription values Make sure you know your PD measurement by heart Try our virtual try-on tool, so you know how frames will fit your face. Checking frame measurements and comparing to your existing pairs Conclusion: Control What You See You should now be primed with the basic knowledge of prescriptions and what all those fancy acronyms mean. Armed with this information, you should be able to communicate effectively with optometrists and eye health care professionals to make better-informed decisions about lens types and prescriptions. As always, AOGE is not a substitute for a trained professional. While we strive to provide helpful, practical, and accurate information about eyewear, lenses, and prescriptions, we always recommend consulting with a licensed and educated optometrist.

Need an all-around solution for eyewear? Struggling with small print or long-range vision? Or are you just approaching 40 and in need of a vision tune-up or check-in? Progressive lenses are a strong answer to any of these questions and offer a proactive solution for age-related vision issues without compromising on personal expression. Check out our guide below and learn how this innovation offers peak multifocal perfection and has become the preferred choice for presbyopia correction. Understanding Progressive Lenses: Modern Multifocal Technology Think of multifocal lenses often referred to as progressive lenses as bifocals but better. Way way better. Progressive lenses provide seamless vision correction at all distances without visible lines offering a natural transition between vision length without marking the wearer in an overt manner. Progressive vs. Traditional Bifocals Bifocals are ideal for two focal lengths, usually distance and near vision, which make them ideal for switching between two tasks without switching glasses, such as reading. However, because of their construction, they’re a bit clunky and awkward to look at never mind use. Progressives offer a natural, smoothed, graded focal perspective across the entirety of the lens. This makes them ideal for more focal lengths and offers them a modern and aesthetic appearance as compared to bifocals. Benefits of Progressive Lenses In addition to looking great progressive lenses are often used for presbyopia, a condition that causes your eye lenses to lose flexibility and causes difficulty focusing on objects up close. Due to being a natural part of aging, many people experience presbyopia regardless of lifestyle or health history. Progressives help correct for these health issues by providing a graded, or gradual focal length change in a single lens that reduces eye strain for the wearer. Aesthetic Benefits: We would like to say we’re all about the vision at AOGE, but we would be lying if we didn’t mention we love to look as good as we see. Progressives are a part of that puzzle and offer no visible lines or segments, just a smooth lens without obvious changes, this helps add to a youth, contemporary appearance. Couple this any of our awesome frame choices and you’re well on your way to seeing and looking better. Choosing the Right Progressive Lenses Key Selection Factors: Picking the perfect progressive lenses is like assembling your dream team—every detail matters! Start by thinking about your lifestyle. Are you a spreadsheet jockey battling it our at your desk, a bookworm, or an outdoor adventurer? Your lenses should match your vibe. If you’re constantly juggling between spreadsheets and street signs, or if your screen time rivals a Netflix binge, your lenses need to keep up. And don’t forget the frames—they’re the outfit your lenses wear, so choose something comfy and stylish. Sure, budget is a thing, but think of it as an investment in your future self, who’ll thank you for crystal-clear vision at every distance. Upgrades, Upgrades, Upgrades! Now, let’s talk upgrades! Want to ditch glare like a pro? Anti-reflective coatings have your back. Photochromic lenses are like magic sunglasses that adapt to the light if you’re always on the move between indoors and outdoors. Scratch-resistant coatings? They’re the armor your lenses need for daily battles. And don’t forget UV protection—because your eyes deserve sunscreen too. For the internet addicts and chronically online, blue light filtering,, fights eye strain and keeps you comfortable during those marathon streaming sessions or long hours on social media. Professional Fitting and Adaptation A pro fitting is like having a personal trainer for your eyes—experienced opticians will measure, tweak, and tailor your lenses to suit you, yes, you!. And yes, there’s an adjustment period, some growing pains if you will but once you’re used to them, it's business as usual. Regular check-ups and tweaks will keep you at the top of your vision game. Enhanced Lens Protection Options Finally, go the extra mile to protect your lenses. Premium anti-reflective coatings, photochromic tech, scratch resistance, we offer it all. Tell glare where to go, and take on all of life's moments with the best in eyewear treatments. With the right combo, your progressive lenses will be your ultimate tool for daily life. Conclusion: Are Progressive Lenses Right For Me? Look, as we age, we never want to admit that we aren’t quite as sharp as we were. However, with progressives, no one has to know. They’ll keep you looking and seeing your absolute best.  

Picking the perfect frames for your face is about a lot more than just finding a pair of glasses you like—it's about finding frames that complement well you! Aoge’s ultimate guide will help you navigate the process of choosing ideal prescription glasses that improve your vision, match your personality, and suit your face shape. By the end of this article, you will know exactly how to keep on looking and seeing your best. 1. Understanding Your Face Shape for Perfect Eyeglasses Before getting to frame selection, let's start with identifying your face shape. While everyone's face is unique, most faces fall into these primary categories: Oval Medium wide, medium long, medium round. Symmetric forehead and jaw for a balanced look. Round Full cheeks, a rounded chin, and nearly equal width and length. Soft and circular, with few sharp angles. Square Square faces have a distinct, strong jaw and forehead, with wide cheekbones. Heart Wider forehead with a sharp taper towards the chin, often with prominent cheekbones. Called heart-shaped for its silhouette resembling a heart. 2. Best Eyeglass Frames for Each Face Shape Once you've identified your face shape, follow this guide to match your frames to your face. Eyeglasses for Oval Faces You’re lucky! Most frame styles will complement your balanced proportions. Consider these options: Rectangular frames for an upscale look Square frames to add structure Round frames for a softer appearance, but be sure to avoid oversized frames that might overwhelm your features. Eyeglasses for Round Faces Round and round we go! A structured, geometric frame will balance out your soft features, creating contrast: Rectangle eyeglass frames to elongate your face Square eyeglass frames to add angular aspects Geometric shapes to create structure. Remember to steer clear of round frames that may emphasize facial roundness. Eyeglasses for Square Faces Your face may be square, but your style isn’t! Think of yourself as the opposite of round faces, and the rules to boot. Balance strong angular features with these frame styles: Oval eyeglass frames to soften sharp angles Round frames to contrast with angular features Thin frames to reduce facial heaviness. Avoid square or rectangular frames that will lead to an unbalanced look. Eyeglasses for Heart-Shaped Faces We’re jealous; heart-shaped faces are known for their beauty. Balance a wider forehead with these complementary frames: Bottom-heavy frames to create proportion Round frames to soften angular features Oval frames with decorative elements Light-colored or rimless frames to maintain balance Eyeglasses for Diamond Faces Shine bright like a, well you get the idea. Enhance your look with the following styles: Cat-eye frames to accentuate cheekbones Oval frames to balance facial proportions Rimless frames for a lightweight appearance Avoid narrow frames that might elongate your face. 3. Choosing Eyeglass Frame Colors for Your Skin Tone Your skin tone is a key factor in choosing eyewear frames that complement and enhance your natural complexion. For those with warm skin tones—characterized by golden, yellow, or olive undertones—opt for frames that harmonize with these hues. Your best options are tortoiseshell patterns, warm browns, golden hues, soft beige, and earthy olive tones. These colors really complement you, enhancing your natural warmth. If you have cool skin tones with pink or blue undertones, frames in black, silver, or gray metallic finishes will accentuate your complexion. Cool blue tones and crystal-clear frames will also work well, adding a calm yet sophisticated look to your day-to-day. Neutral skin for the win! You can experiment with bold color, vibrant patterns, mixed metallic finishes, and contemporary two-tone designs; almost nothing is off-limits! Neutral skin tones can pull off a wide range of hues, making it easy to express your personality and stay on-trend with your eyewear choices. Whether you prefer subtle elegance or eye-catching statements, the options are virtually limitless. 4. Lifestyle Considerations for Eyeglass Selection Your daily life should guide your frames, ensuring they align with both your needs and wants. In the office, opt for frames that balance sophistication and functionality; remember, we have to be professional even when we want to be fun. Think of timeless shapes and neutral tones such as black, beige, grey, and cream. If your day involves outdoor adventures, durability and functionality are top concerns. Titanium, or TR90 are your best bets here for their strength and durability. Look for designs with impact-resistant features and secure-fit elements, such as rubberized nose pads or adjustable temples, to keep your glasses in place during movement. For those who view eyewear as a fashion statement, you have carte blanche—experiment with unconventional shapes, vibrant hues, or bold patterns to make a statement. Stay ahead of the trends; explore seasonal color or materials that reflect your personality and elevate your overall look, pushing it further. Conclusion: Investing in the Classics No matter your style, something classic, bold, and looking is always in. Invest in something neutral, elevated, but not too elevated, but most importantly, something that suits your face and helps you see better. Looking good and seeing better is the name of the game here. Take the time to figure out what you really like and what suits you; we promise it’s worth it.