July is UV Safety Month

Every Texan knows shade is essential, especially with summer in full blaze. July is UV Safety Month, so Dr. Alan M. Greenberg with North Texas Cosmetic Surgery reminds you to choose shades that protect your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.

As a cosmetic surgeon, Dr. Greenberg advises his clients to protect and preserve their health and appearance by wearing sunscreen every day. Harmful UV-A and UV-B rays also wreak havoc on eye health, and can cause serious problems such as:

Macular degeneration
Cataracts
Skin cancer
Pterygium
Photokeratitis (corneal sunburn)

Dr. Greenberg thinks our patients may be surprised to find that sun exposure leads to macular degeneration, a leading cause of vision loss in older Americans, and that even children should protect their eyes from the sun!

Prevent Blindness America and the Mayo Clinic offer tips on choosing sunglasses to protect your eyes:

1) Wear protective eyewear that filters out 99% of UV rays.

2) Do not buy sunglasses that fail to mention the percentage of UV protection.

3) You don’t have to look directly at the sun to damage your eyes. The sun’s rays are reflected on the water, ground, sand or snow. In fact, your risk is greater at the beach or in a snowy area.

4) If you are at the beach or on the ski slopes, choose dark, tinted lenses that do not distort colors. Yellow, amber or orange-red tints will improve contrast for winter sports.

5) Go big! Texas-sized lenses protect better.

6) Polarized, photochromic and mirror-coated lenses don’t necessarily offer UV protection. Polycarbonate lenses do.

As an added precaution, Dr. Greenberg and the staff at North Texas Cosmetic Surgery also opts for wide-brimmed hats to block rays from entering through the top and sides of sunglasses. Our team also recommends asking your eyecare provider for a UV coating on your prescription eyeglasses.

Read more about the care and keeping of YOU at www.northtexascosmeticsurgery.com. An appointment with Dr. Greenberg will answer your questions about mommy makeovers, facial fillers and Botox and other cosmetic surgery options.