Frames: Why they matter so much

Danika Zielinski

When people think of the term ‘vision science’, the initial thought that comes to mind would, of course, be eye health. Subsequently, they may think about different lens styles such as: progressives, bifocals, or single vision. However, frames and the fit of the frames themselves tend to recede to the back of the thought process.

When people buy glasses, of course they think about aesthetics! They are spending money on something that they will be wearing on their face, so of course how it looks is important. But to optical dispensers, the right frame is crucial in many different categories. You may expect me to focus on which frame shape works best with certain face shapes, but in this article, I will emphasize the importance of frames in an alternative setting.

Prescription: Not all frames will work for every prescription. For example, a frame for a progressive lens should not be too shallow since these lenses have correction for distance, intermediate, and near tasks. Therefore, if the frame is too shallow, it will be extremely difficult for the patient to go about their life as all the different segments will be very limited. This does not mean that you should pick the deepest frame either since the patient will have way too much reading room at the bottom of the lenses, which could pose a hazard when walking downstairs since it could distort the vision. Frame fit also matters for the amount of astigmatism (the natural variations of the cornea) a patient has. Flatter frames (minimal wrap) are more preferable for astigmatism to minimize a ‘fishbowl’ distortion in their vision.

Material/Frame style: Frames come in two different categories; plastic or metal (with nose pads). The higher the prescription is, the heavier the lenses will get since thickness increases with the prescription. In this case, a patient may find the metal frames will be more comfortable, as they tend to be lighter, and the nose pads can be adjusted to prevent the frames from slipping down. If a patient has allergies to metal, wanted a frame that is slightly less fragile, or a slightly thicker frame to mask lens thickness, plastic would be a great option. If the glasses are used while the patient plays sports or tends to be hard on glasses; a frame that goes completely around the lens is better as it minimizes the chance of lenses chipping. On the other hand, high minus lenses are thicker towards the outer edges because, when cut into a square frame, the majority of the thickness will be toward the temporal sides. In contrast, a rounder frame has edges that are more equal thus making it easier to even out the edges of the lens.

Face fit: One of the first things we assess when a patient tries on a frame is the overall fit. Does it fit equally around their bridge? Are the temples (arms) splaying outwards and squeezing the patient’s head? Are the frames too wide? Will there be enough room to adjust the temples behind the ears? Are the patient’s eyes centered in the lenses? When fitting a plastic frame, it should be sitting equally around the patient’s nose: if it is not, the frames will either constantly slide down the bridge of their nose or cause pain and red marks. This is not an issue with nose pads, as they are adjustable. If the temples on a frame are splaying outwards on a patient it means the frame is too small, which will cause headaches and damage to the hinges over time. An important adjustment that we almost always make is securing the temples behind the ears to prevent the frame from slipping forward. When we do this, we always want to ensure that if the temple is bent, it will end approximately at the bone right behind the ear.