When it comes to sun protection, we're often reminded to protect our skin. But experts say protecting your eyes is just as important -- it's why you need sunglasses that meet certain requirements.
"They need to actually cover UV," Dr. Amy Kassouf with the Cleveland Clinic said. "They need to say one hundred percent UV spectrum, because the backs of your eyes can actually be damaged, and you can get melanomas and things in your eyes."
Dr. Kassouf says wrap-around sunglasses are best because they protect around the crow's feet area outside the eyes.
She says wrap-around, UV sunglasses help protect not only against sun damage but also wrinkles around the eyes.
The area around the eyes consists of especially thin skin, which is very sensitive to the sun and is prone to aging faster than other areas of the skin.
Dr. Kassouf also says putting certain products around the eyelid area and going outside without sunglasses can set you up for increased damage to the skin around your eyes.
"You may put moisturizer or a plain ointment around your eyes, and that could increase penetration if it doesn't actually have SPF protection," Dr. Kassouf said.
The doctor says you want to protect the skin around your eyes. However, you don't want to get sunscreen in your eyes, so keep that in mind.