A high power prescription (Rx) can cause glasses to be heavy, hard to make, and expensive.  As if the latter were not enough, thick lenses can have a social stigma that is embarrassing and difficult to disguise.  However, there are techniques and materials that can help reduce the appearance of heavy glasses and their Rx.  Here are some ideas to help disguise high diopter (near or far sighted) prescriptions and make glasses more visually appealing.

• For your face width, choose the smaller possible frame width.  Visual correction by the lens is often accomplished by lens curves where edge or center thickness are increased so the smallest frame that is effective for your face helps hide thick edges or thick centers of glasses.
• Choose a frame that permits your pupil to look through the frame/lens opening in the exact center of the lens.
• Choose a lens that is as near to round as possible.
• Choose a lens material that has a high index value.  The higher the index value (say 1.74), the thinner the edge profile when the lens is cut and placed in your eyeglass frames.
• Ask your optician or optometrist about the benefits of Aspheric/atoric lens designs which can help minimize and reduce magnification or minimization of your eye and facial features behind the eyeglass lenses.  These type lenses may also help reduce edge thickness or center thickness on some prescriptions.
• Ask your optician for the ideal lens placement for your Rx when the lenses are manufactured for your choice in eyeglass frames.  How the lens is placed in the frame can help disguise edge thickness and profile.
• Ask your optician whether polishing the lens edge can help disguise lens thickness or edge profile
• Contact lenses might be an option for some people with high power prescriptions.  Ask your optician or optometrist about contact lenses and whether they can be appropriate for your life and work circumstances, and whether you can be successfully fitted for contact lenses.