Almost as important as picking the proper lens for your patient's needs is picking the proper frame to hold said lens.  If you do not properly match the frame to the lens, then you patient may experience unwanted distortion and thickness.  The frame PD (eye size + DBL) should be as close to the patient's PD as possible.  Also, frame selection should follow lens selection, as some frames should not be used with certain lens styles and materials.  Please see below for further information on this.

Frame style: Zyl

Zyl (also known as zylo or plastic) frames will generally accept any lens style or material.  They are more difficult to adjust for tilt and height since they often do not have adjustable nose pads. This means that proper seg height measurements are of the utmost importance.

Frame style: Metal

Metal frames are the most common frames on the market, they accept nearly every lens available, and allow for subtle adjustments.  To keep lenses the thinnest, keep the frame pd and the patient's pd as close to the same as possible so that the lens is cut from the thinnest part of the lens blank.

Frame style: Grooved

Grooved frames are available in both metal and plastic.  Since they have a groove built into the lens, lens selection is critical.  Lenses need to be made a slight bit thicker to accomodate the groove, and some lenses do not hold up so well to the stress the mounting string puts on them.  If possible, you should use trivex, high index, or polycarbonate lenses.  Also, many of the new grooved frames feature a metal mounting liner on the top of the frame instead of an acetate liner like grooved frames of the past.  This metal liner puts addition stress on the lens, and cr39 lenses will often suffer from cracking and chipping in these frames and should be avoided if at all possible.  Trivex or polycarbonate are both acceptable replacements with limited increases in cost.

Frame style: Drilled Rimless

Drilled rimless frames have become very popular over the past few years.  They offer an unlimited number of styles, as each style can be adjusted both horizontally and vertically without effecting the frame mountings.  Because of the stress the mounting holes put on the lens, trivex and high index are your best options for lens choices.  Polarized lenses often do not do well in drilled rimless frames, as it can cause the lens to separate where the polarization film is sandwiched in between the lens layers.  Polycarbonate is acceptable, but can suffer from cracking if chemicals make their way down into the drill holes where the lens does not have a protective coating.