The Unhealthy Side Of Wearing Sunglasses
Okay, I am about to cause some controversy, but I want you to hear me out. Sunglasses have become a go-to accessory and are crowned as the ultimate protection for our eyes. However, have you ever thought about the negatives of using sunglasses?
What are the benefits of sunlight:
Just by the way, no, I am not arguing the fact that excessive UV exposure from the sun causes sun damage. Stress less, but I will put forth the benefits of sunlight and UV exposure. Our bodies rely heavily on light. We need morning light for our brains to register that it is time to start the day and produce particular hormones such as cortisol. We also need light to go away at night for our bodies to produce melatonin to put us to sleep. Sunlight heavily dictates the hormones produced in the body. So naturally, when we wake up, look at our phone screens, get dressed for work, hop on the bus and then put on some sunnies when we walk the 5 minutes to work, then we have not seen a single bit of light.
Sunlight is responsible for vitamin D production which plays a role in bone health, immune function, and mood regulation. Sunlight has also been associated with improved sleep, elevated mood, and a reduction in mood disorders such as depression and seasonal affective disorder.
How sunglasses could be causing you to be getting burnt:
So ontop of the hormone issues that come with decreased light exposure, there is also the idea that wearing sunglasses could be causing you to get burnt in the sun easier. See sunglasses block the photoreceptors in your eyes from knowing exactly how bright it is, which then hinders the production of melanin. See it like there are little cameras in your eyes (photoreceptors) that need to see how bright it is to then go and tell the brain to direct all the soilders (melanin) to head to the skin and fight UV exposure. When you wear sunglasses, you are putting a film on the top of those cameras which means there are not enough soilders to fight UV. Now if I haven't sold you yet, melanin is the pigment responsible for determining skin and eye colour. So ideally, you will also tan better without the presence of sunglasses.
My suggestions:
I always suggest to avoid wearing sunglasses when you are in the sun. But work your way up to it and always consider your personal eye health history e.g. having sensitive eyes. I told friend this fact and he went and sat in the sun for 5 hours with no protection and then came running to me complaining that it didn’t work… hahaha so please don’t do this. Aim to spend 15 minutes in the sun every single day with no sunscreen, hat or sunglasses and then you can slowly increase your sun exposure over time, however 15 minutes of unprotected sun exposure allows you to receive all the benefits of the sun without any risk of excessive UV exposure.