Frequently Asked Questions

Photophobia is a heightened sensitivity to light that can cause discomfort, headaches, or eye strain — often triggered by bright sunlight, fluorescent lights, screens, or even cloudy daylight.Soothe glasses are designed to filter harsh light without distorting vision. The right lens tint and darkness can significantly reduce these triggers, providing real, daily relief.

Start by identifying where your sensitivity affects you most — indoors under artificial lighting, outdoors in sunlight, or both.The best lens color and tint also depends on the underlying medical condition causing your photophobia — for example, people with migraines, TBI, or post-surgical light sensitivity may respond differently to certain hues.

While we offer lens options that provide general relief for most users, customizing the lens color and darkness to your specific condition and lifestyle is key to finding lasting comfort.Not sure where to start? We’re here to help guide you through it.

At Soothe, we believe in flexibility because every light sensitivity journey is unique. To help you choose the right lens color, we recommend starting with your medical needs — certain tints may be more effective for specific conditions like migraines, post-surgery recovery, or photophobia. We enable you to filter based on your medical condition.

From there, consider your daily lifestyle:

• Indoor-focused? Lower opacity can help with screen glare and fluorescent lighting.
• Outdoor-focused? Higher opacity, darker lenses provide stronger sun and glare protection.
• A mix of both? Consider mid-range tints might be ideal.

We’re always here to support you — whether you need help matching a lens to your situation or want to try different options to find what feels best.

Feel free to reach out anytime!

Not necessarily. While dark lenses can help outdoors, using them indoors may make your eyes more light-sensitive over time.That’s why we offer different lens options — including soft tints for indoor use and stronger filters for outdoor glare. Matching the tint to your environment is key to managing photophobia effectively.

Yes! You have two great options:

• Wearover frames are designed to comfortably fit over your existing prescription glasses — no lens change needed.
• Custom prescription lenses are also available! You can order your frame fitted with your exact prescription and your choice of lens color and opacity for light sensitivity.

Simply select the "yes" on the product page and upload your prescription when selecting the options.

At this time, we do not support ordering multi-focal (progressive) prescriptions directly online.

If you need multi-focal lenses, or if you have any special prescription needs, please contact us directly — we’re happy to help find the best solution for you!

We make it easy for you to find your perfect fit!

Each product page provides simple ways to check sizing, including:

• Comparing measurements to a pair of glasses you already own (lens width, bridge width, temple length)
• Measuring your face at home with a ruler or flexible tape to match frame sizes

(We even provide a quick guide to help!)

And if you’re still unsure — no worries. Our friendly support team is always ready to assist, and we offer no-hassle returns to make sure you find the frame that feels just right.

We’ve designed our process to make finding the right light-sensitive glasses simple and personalized:

1. Take our short quiz to help identify your sensitivity triggers and ideal lens options.
2. Filter products by condition (like migraine, TBI, post-surgery, or general sensitivity) to narrow your choices.
3. Select your lens color and opacity — based on your light environment (indoor, outdoor, or both) and medical needs.
4. Choose your frame — you can go with a wearover style or a prescription-ready design.
5. Add your prescription (if needed) by uploading it at checkout or emailing it to us later — we’ll confirm it with you before production begins.

If you ever feel unsure along the way, our support team is here to walk you through it.

You can get your glasses prescription from your eye doctor — they’re required to provide it after your exam (just ask if they haven’t already). Most prescriptions are valid for 1–2 years.To send it to us, you have two easy options:

• Upload it at checkout when placing your order
• Email it to us later (you’ll get instructions after checkout)

If you’re not sure how to read your prescription or think something might be missing, we’re happy to help review it before we begin making your lenses.

PD stands for Pupillary Distance — the measurement (in millimeters) between the centers of your pupils. It helps ensure your prescription lenses are properly aligned with your eyes for the clearest, most comfortable vision.You can usually find your PD on your prescription. If it’s not listed, you can:

• Ask your eye doctor to provide it
• Use a ruler and mirror to measure it at home (we can send instructions)
• Try a free PD measuring app online

If you’re ordering prescription lenses and need help getting your PD, just let us know — we’re happy to walk you through it.

Coming soon! We’re working on enabling HSA/FSA support for prescription glasses and medically necessary light-filtering lenses.In the meantime, feel free to email us if you need documentation to submit a manual claim — we’re glad to help.

We accept all major credit cards, Shop Pay, PayPal, and Apple Pay.We use Shopify’s secure checkout system, so you can shop with confidence and flexibility.

Most orders ship within 3-5 business days.If you’ve ordered prescription lenses, please allow 5-7 business days for lens customization before shipping.All orders ship from the U.S., and tracking information will be emailed to you as soon as your order goes out.

No worries — we’re here to help!

At Soothe, real people from our customer support team are ready to make sure you get the right solution for your light sensitivity needs.If your glasses don’t fit or something isn’t quite right, we offer a hassle-free 30-day return policy.

Simply reach out to us, and we’ll work with you to exchange, adjust, or refund your order — whatever it takes to get you feeling comfortable and protected.

Your comfort and satisfaction are our top priorities.

We’re a family-owned company based in New Jersey.

Soothe was started after seeing our aging parents struggle with light sensitivity — and how hard it was to find sunglasses that actually addressed medical needs and looked good.

We built Soothe to fix that, and we’re proud to be helping others who face the same daily discomfort.

You can reach our team anytime by using the contact form on our website or by emailing us directly at support@sootheoptics.com.

We typically respond within 1 business day, and often much faster. Whether you have a question about your order, prescription, or choosing the right frame, we’re here to help.

Absolutely. Behind the screen is a small team of real people who care — not chatbots or outsourced scripts.

Whether you’re unsure about sizing, lens tint, or anything else, we’re here to help you find what works.

We offer hassle-free 30-day returns on all non-prescription products. If something doesn’t fit or feel right, just let us know — we’ll make it right.

For prescription sunglasses, we don’t offer standard returns, but we’ll work closely with you to resolve any issues. Your comfort is our top priority.