this post was submitted on 19 Jan 2025
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Extensive skin contact with PLA and PETG seems okay (lemmy.sdf.org)
submitted 2 days ago by ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org to c/3dprinting@lemmy.world
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As you may know, I now wear 3D-printed glasses.

I've been wearing glasses for decades, since age 3, and because I'm lazy, I never take off my glasses even when I sleep, I'm not sure how, but even when I'm asleep, I never turn into a position that would damage my glasses. Decades of habit I guess...

Anyhow, the point is, apart from when I shower and when I go to the swimming pool, those 3D-printed glasses are sitting squarely on my face all day, every day. So probably close to 23.5 hours a day.

And I'm happy to report, PLA and PETG seem to have zero effects on my skin. No rash, no redness, no itching, zero discomfort. I've worn each material for at least 2 months straight and they seem perfectly fine.

I don't see any degradation of either material either, even after being exposed to acidity and oil from my skin for hours on end. I didn't expect PETG to react to anything, since it's more or less the same stuff soda bottles are made of, but I thought maybe PLA would degrade. But it doesn't. Perhaps it degrades slower than I anticipated. I'll report back in a year 🙂

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[–] ExtremeDullard@lemmy.sdf.org 5 points 2 days ago

Well, my main frames with the progressive lenses that I wear outdoors most of the time is printed in PETG, and that's pretty much impervious to UV. My PLA frames are near glasses I wear only indoors when I work at the computer. On top of that, I live way up north, and UVs are so scarce here we have to take vitamin-D supplements year round 🙂 So I guess I'll be okay on that front.

As for abrasion on my nose, I don't think that will produce particles that will fly into my eyes. More likely, it would create some contact rash on the skin of my nose or something, and it doesn't - which is what I'm reporting in this here post. Other than that contact point and my ears, the frames aren't really rubbing on anything anywhere else.