What actually happens if you wear red glasses as reason why celebrities have started wearing them is revealed
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You might have noticed more and more celebrities are wearing red glasses, and it turns out there's more to this trend than meets the eye.
We've all been influenced by the rich and famous, after all, who hasn't scrolled and wanted to buy an item they're toting?
The red glasses seem to be the must-have item for anyone who's anyone, but there are apparently medical benefits to the glasses too.
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It's not just about looking cool, fans of the specs say they help their health as well.
Celebrities including Selena Gomez, Pharrell, Robert Downey Jr., Sir Elton John and Simon Cowell have all been spotted wearing rose-tinted frames.
Britain's Got Talent judge Simon opened up about why he opted for the red hue for his lenses last year, after fans speculated about his absence from some of the auditions.
He told The Standard: "The red glasses are because I have lights in my eyes all day long and it’s like a laser and I get migraines and that’s like a filter. They actually do work.”
He also posted on Instagram to reassure viewers, while also singing the praises of the spectacles: "I just found out according to the internet, I have a 'mystery illness'.
"For anyone concerned, I missed two auditions at the end of one day, two weeks ago, because I do get migraines after long days in the filming lights. PS. This is why I wear these glasses!"
The post was accompanied by a funny picture of a bug with big red eyes.
Do they really work?
The American Optometric Association journal reviewed several trials, and concluded that when patients were given tinted lenses they 'experienced a dramatic reduction in photophobia'.
It continues to say that 'tinted spectacle or contact lenses may be useful in relieving photophobia associated with a number of cone disorders, including achromatopsia'.
Those suffering from the condition found the most benefit came from red lenses.
The RNIB describes photophobia as 'light sensitivity... a condition that causes discomfort or pain in response to light,' while the Moorfield Eye Hospital says achromatopsia is a 'rare inherited condition that causes sensitivity to bright light and loss of colour vision.'
A 2004 study from the Journal of Ophthalmology looked at 23 patients with severe photophobia.
The research gave the patients red lenses, in order to 'alleviate photophobia and improve their ability to use their remaining vision more effectively.'
Impressively, the report found that the red contact lenses immediately resolved the subject's aversion to light.
It even allowed eight patients to become eligible to drive.
So as well as looking cool, it seems that the red lenses really do have medical benefits for some people with eye conditions.
Jen Thomas