Buying glasses, whether it’s online, on the high street or with your local family practice can be a bit of a daunting prospect.
Walking in you’re surrounded by hundreds of different glasses and sunglasses, then you go for your test and all the numbers are just confusingI I mean what is astigmatism anyways?! (Psst, it’s when your eyes are shaped like a rugby balls… but we’ll get into that another time). Then there are the lenses. Can you get contact lenses instead? Is there a right way to choose frames? What about children’s frames? So many questions! And all because you decided to get your eyes tested.
How often should I get my eyes tested?
This is really dependant on your Optometrist. It’s usually 2 years for routines check-ups, but you may need to get your eyes checked more often (once a year or so) if specified. This could be because of your age or type of prescription. It’s especially important if you have a family history of glaucoma or diabetes and are over the age of 40.
Is there a rule for how to choose glasses?
The general rule has to do with the position of your eyes in relation to the size of the glasses you choose. If the glasses are too big, your eyes will appear too close together. If they are too small, your eyes will look too far apart. Lucky for us, there’s a sweet spot that makes your frame choice look fantastic.
What about my face shape? Does that make a difference?
Ah this is a bit of a long answer. There are quite a few different face shapes and so many different frames. Fortunately, we have another blog post that goes into great detail about this exact topic. Check it out here!
Are contact lenses an option for me?
Heck yeah they are! Contact lenses are an amazing option! Think about it, you’re going out and you don’t want to wear your glasses, but you need to be able to see! CONTACT LENSES TO THE RESCUE! Talk to your optician, they’ll get you in for a contact lens fit and be able to find the right brand. And once you have your results you can order up to a years supply to keep ready for whenever they are needed.
How long will my new glasses take to arrive?
This depends on your prescription. Uncomplex single vision lenses can be ready anytime from an hour after your order (impressive, isn’t it), to 5 working days. Varifocals and complex single vision lenses can take 7-10 working days. But if we get lucky and the stars align, we can get them to you sooner.
My kid needs glasses, do you have children’s frames?
Both of our practices in Knightsbridge and Kensington have a great range of children’s glasses for you to choose from. We take great care with our young patients, making sure they are seen by a fully qualified and licensed Dispensing Optician/Optometrist.
What do I do if I need my glasses adjusting?
If you’re in central London, you can head to one of our practices and we’ll get your glasses/sunglasses adjusted to your face by one of our dedicated staff. For those outside of England’s capital, we always recommend that you head to your nearest independent optician, or you can send your glasses to us via insured Royal Mail.
Remember, adjustments will always be done at your own risk but we always do our best to take extra care with our customer’s property.
So there you have it. Questions and answers that we opticians hear most often. For more answers that you might be curious about, feel free to contact us via our website. Here.
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