How Often Should I Replace My Glasses?

Has it been a few years since you’ve updated your glasses?

This may not seem like a big deal, but you may be doing damage to your eyes with out-of-date glasses.

Glasses that haven’t been updated not only affect your style; they also can cause unnecessary strain on your eyes. Here are a few of the factors that you should consider when deciding whether or not to update your old glasses to a new pair:

1. Damage

If your lenses or frames have received a decent amount of wear and tear, now may be a good time to replace your glasses. Damage to frames is likely a minor issue, but it can lead to a broken frame later. Damage to the lenses like scratches and drops can, however, lead to serious discomfort and eye strain. If you have markings on the surface of your lenses, these are likely disrupting your field of vision and are causing your eyes to over-exert themselves focusing past the damages. This exertion can often lead to headaches or irritation for your eyes. For your own comfort, we highly recommend updating your glasses.

2. Prescription Changes

As you age, your eyesight gradually worsens over time. This means that your prescription is constantly changing. To see to the best of your ability and avoid over-exertion on your eyes to compensate for weak prescriptions, it is important that you attend routine eye checkups and update your prescription frequently. This does not mean only updating your contact lens prescription; you will literally save yourself headaches updating your glasses prescription as well.

3. Technological Updates

Optometrists are constantly innovating in their field to bring the best products possible. Therefore, updated glasses will keep you on the cutting edge of optical technology, which may have some advantageous benefits for the long-term health of your eyes.

4. Style

Let’s face it, glasses styles come and go rather quickly. The thick cat-eye frames and the oblong lenses of the past have been replaced by more modern and sleek styles in recent years. We at Infinite Eye Care pride ourselves on providing quality stock by keeping up with current trends and offering a variety of timeless styles so that anyone can find a pair of glasses that they will be happy with for years to come.


If you’re considering updating your glasses, now is a great time. We have a great variety of frames for men and women, and we just began offering a new line of frames from Etnia Barcelona. Stop in to get an updated prescription and assistance from our professional opticians to pick out the perfect frames for you.

Spectacles of the Past: The History of Eyeglasses

Have you ever wondered when the first eyeglasses were invented? What did the eyeglasses of the past look like?

A brief history of eyeglasses and how their styles have changed through the years is an interesting - though sometimes blurry - look at times gone past.

Early Eye Glass Inventions

The first efforts to correct blurry vision were especially crude; think a large glass bowl filled with water. The first magnifying glass, invented in Venice around 1000 C.E., was the true start to corrected vision. These “reading stones” became friends of aging monks and medieval detectives.

The first pair glasses were simply two magnifying glasses connected by a hinge and balanced on the nose, invented in Italy somewhere between 1285-1289. Early versions of glasses would also sometimes be held up by a handle.

During the next couple centuries, eyeglasses continued to rise in popularity and demand.

Advancements and Breakthroughs

A large breakthrough came in the 1500's when crafters fashioned a concave lens to correct the vision of the nearsighted Pope. Now lenses could cure both nearsighted and farsighted problems.

In the 1700's, the idea emerged to anchor eyeglasses to the ears so they would stay in place. The late 1700's also brought the invention of bifocals, though it wasn’t until the 1800's that glasses evolved to correct astigmatism. Monocles and trifocals followed in the late 1800's and early 1900's.


The multitude of styles on the market today proves the diversity and popularity of eyeglasses. While traditionally the best frames were made in Germany and the best lenses made in Italy, manufacturers from all over the world now understand how to produce high-quality glasses.

We can use eyeglasses to correct almost every vision problem. Understanding the history of eyeglasses and how they have changed over time helps us to appreciate how far we have come.