If you've been watching Britain's Got Talent then you'll probably have seen Simon Cowell in his red-tinted glasses, and you might have been wondering what that's all about.
They could have been a fancy fashion statement or something along those lines, but instead they actually serve a very important purpose and you might consider trying a pair for yourself.
Maybe in the future everyone will be wearing red-tinted glasses, but for now it's time to work out why Cowell has been wearing them.
Why does Simon Cowell wear red glasses?
The Britain's Got Talent judge doesn't have them on because he thinks they make him look cool, it's actually all about preventing migraines.
Advert
They're photophobia/migraine glasses which help prevent bright lights from causing painful headaches, and given that he spends many of his days on TV sets he has a lot of bright lights to deal with.
Cowell told The Sun: "The red glasses are because I have lights in my eyes all day long.
"It’s like a laser and I get migraines and that’s like a filter. And they actually do work."
A place like the BGT set is absolutely decked out in bright lights, so if you were prone to migraines because of that it would be quite the uncomfortable experience.
Wearing the red-tinted glasses helps alleviate the discomfort for Cowell and keeps the brightest of lights from being too harsh.
How do they work?
A 2005 study found that wearing glasses with red-tinted lenses helped most people with migraines as they blocked out shorter wavelengths of light that overstimulate the receptors in your retina and make the pain of migraines worse.
33 people were part of the study and 31 said wearing red-tinted glasses helped relieve their pain, and for some of them they felt the difference within seconds.
Another study in 2011 found that tinted lenses brought a 70 percent improvement in relieving migraines.
What sets off the migraines?
There are all sorts of things which can trigger a migraine, and according to the NHS they usually last between two and three hours.
However, the specific causes of migraines are difficult to pin down, though some people have identified certain triggers for the horribly painful headaches.
If you're getting them then the NHS recommends that you keep a 'migraine diary' which can help you piece together what's causing it.
Around six million Brits suffer from migraines and the advice to reduce them focuses on living a healthy life, staying away from things that kick off your migraines and to have a rest in a darkened room.
If you can't get to a darkened room then wearing glasses which help alleviate bright lights seem like a decent alternative.
Topics: Simon Cowell, Celebrity, Britains Got Talent, Health
Joe Harker