Lens thinning: when do you need it?

Certain stronger powers require lenses to be made from different materials that help the lens become lighter and thinner.

Since high index lenses can bend light more effectively than traditional lenses, they can be thinner while still offering the same amount of corrective power.

Thinning and lightening lenses helps reduce the look of magnification (makes the eyes look bigger) and minification (makes the eyes look smaller), whereby making the final product the best it can be.

So when do you need your lenses thinned? and by how much?

Continue reading to see what levels of thinning we recommend for differing powers.

There are three levels of thinning we provide at Loxley.

The first is:

1.6 index which is up to 25% thinner and lighter than the standard material as is recommended for any powers above plus or minus 3.00D

1.67 index which is up to 35% thinner and lighter than the standard material as is recommended for any powers above plus 4.50D and minus 5.00D

1.74 index which is up to 50% thinner and lighter than the standard material as is recommended for any powers above or plus 6.00D and minus 7.00D

Along with thinning your lenses there are other aspects to consider when choosing glasses for higher powers.

The size of the frame you choose is key. A high prescription could be much less noticeable in a smaller frame.

It’s best to avoid big rectangular frames and ones with sharp, angular edges. This is basically because the further you get away from the centre of a lens, the thicker and therefore more noticeable the lens will be.

A smaller oval frame is a good choice since it reduces distortion (that is typically seen at the edges.) The lenses appear less thick than they would be in a larger width frame.

Also opting for a thicker acetate frame over a thin metal one can make the lenses thickness significantly less noticeable since edges are covered.

The same goes for lens size, the smaller the lenses size often the better. Less magnification/minification is present and thickness is less noticeable.