Mackey Opticians

YOUR PERSONALISED PRESCRIPTION

Every one of our patients or customers have different needs for their spectacles.

Some are short-sighted and simply wear them all the time - they may require lighter and thinner lenses to make their spectacles more comfortable, and have coated lenses - designed to reduce reflections, scratching, oliophobic (grease repelling) and hydrophobic (water- repelling).

Some are long-sighted and need their lenses thinned down with "aspheric lenses" or smaller lenses to ensure the edges of their spectacles look as thin as possible. Bi-aspheric lenses also greatly improve peripheral vision and reduce the "swimming feeling" sometimes felt.

Many now wear "varifocals" or "progressive" lenses - spectacles that look like normal lenses but have an extra reading zone at the bottom. Varifocals are now available in either traditional/ "conventional" designs or newer digital/ "freeform" lenses which give wider field of vision at intermediate and reading.

VDU users often have a workplace pair of spectacles - a type of varifocal lens enhanced for near reading which only focuses up to 3m away in the distance but give much wider areas of reading for the computer screen. VDU users in their late 30's/ early 40's also benefit from "relaxed" lenses which give a little relief at the bottom of the lens without being full varifocals.

Spectacle lenses are normally made in plastic - either classic "CR-39" or a high-index material which is thinner but can be a little "yellower". Quality lenses tend to be whiter than cheaper alternatives. A new ultra-light material is Trivex or PNX which we use for all of our rimless glasses as it is almost unbreakable and doesn't distort. We also recommend PNX for safety use where possible.

Most lenses are normally coated in some way - to make them anti-scratch or anti-glare. Some lenses are "treated" with the latest Transitions VI coating to make them react with light; others have UV coatings or are made as sunglasses with polarised filters.

Of course at Mackey Opticians, we don't expect you to need to know any of the above. That is our job and that is why you come to us - for personal advice and service so that we can give you whatever spectacles are best suited to your needs - all made with quality branded lenses from manufacturers like Hoya, Nikon and Shamir.

And if you need a second pair (or even third) we have great offers available. Please ask for details.