Can you remember years ago when you would go to the beach with your granddad and he would have to wear his prescription glasses so he could see you but then he would clip on those hideous flip down sun shade creations over the top? As if that didn't look bad enough, he would spend half his time with them flipped up looking like he could get half the beach population under there.

This was always embarrassing to be seen with but granddad didn't care. After all, it's not like he wanted to keep the sun out of his eyes so he didn't get wrinkles now, is it. All he knew was that he needed to see but didn't need to be blinded by the sun.

Thankfully, eye wear has come a long way since then. Prescription sunglasses are now available at all major opticians. With designer frames and prescription lenses, there is no longer a need to embarrass your friends and companions.

Prescription sunglasses also means you can do away with the need for changing glasses continually depending on the light and conditions. With varifocals set into prescription lenses you can read, watch TV, drive and sunbathe without the need for changing glasses - as long as you don't do them all at the same time.

Driving is a particularly good time to be wearing prescription sunglasses. There's nothing worse, particularly in the winter, when you have that brilliant, un-shaded sunlight from so low in the sky that the car visor would need a 6 inch fringe to be effective. You still need your prescription glasses to see where your driving but the low sunlight is responsible for many an accident.

If the road is wet, the sunlight also bounces off that and vision is seriously impaired. With prescription sunglasses, you can overcome both of these problems, thus making you a safer driver.

Another application for prescription sunglasses is by the pool in summer. It can get pretty boring just sitting there catching some rays and topping up your tango tan so many people choose to read. If you're wearing your reading glasses and magnifying sunlight towards you, particularly that which bounces off the water, you end up with some serious crow's feet from squinting.

Prescription sunglasses overcome this problem. You can see to read and your beauty is protected.

We hear all the time in the news about the problem of ozone depletion and. While we can see the effect of this on our skin through sun burn, it's not immediately recognisable in our eyes. However, sunlight causes massive amounts of damage if we don't protect our eyes.

This is where prescription sunglasses are a must for anyone who would normally need glasses to see, protecting you from lasting damage.

Prescription sunglasses are even available for children and with their health paramount in the minds of most parents, it is a good idea to purchase them for the kids. Most sunlight damage is done to the eyes before they make it out of their teens so for future benefits, it is best to invest in this eyewear now.

Even for contact lens wearers, prescription sunglasses are a wise investment. Not everyone wants to wear their contact lenses all the time and these glasses can give your eyes a much needed rest. With all the designer glasses on the market these days, there is no need to compromise on style either.