Research commissioned by Specsavers has revealed about 60 per cent of Tasmanians weren't aware the sun could damage their eyes, with only 28 per cent concerned about the long-term damage.

With Australia having some of the highest UV levels in the world and one of the highest rates of skin cancer, Launceston optometrist Damon Hannay said people might not realise their eyes were being damaged before it's too late.

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"The reality is that living in Australia means that we can be exposed to dangerous levels of UV radiation when we're outside, even when it's not bright and sunny," he said.

"While our eyelids are designed to protect our eyes, the skin around our eyes is very thin and contains fragile tissues that can easily be damaged by UV light.

"UV damage to the eye and eyelid increases risk of serious conditions such as eyelid skin cancers, intraocular melanoma, conjunctival cancers, cataracts, macular degeneration and more."

Mr Hannay said symptoms of redness, blurry vision, swelling, light sensitivity, seeing halos and experiencing watery eyes could all be possible symptoms of sun damage to the eyes.

"Unlike skin, where sun damage may be more visibly obvious, it's not necessarily the case when it comes to the eyes as you may not notice symptoms until well after the damage is done," he said.

The research, carried out by YouGov on about 1000 people, also found that two in five Tasmanians didn't wear sunglasses when they were outside.

Further, seven in 10 Tasmanians who responded to the survey thought they only had to wear sunglasses when it was sunny and during the middle of the day.

Mr Hannay said most of his patients didn't know what to look out for in sunglasses when it came to sun protection.

"Many people believe that sunglasses only need to be worn on a hot sunny day at the beach for example, but regardless of whether it's clear skies and high temperatures or not, as a preventative measure you should be wearing them every time you're outside," he said.

"Even if it is an overcast day, UV rays are still present, so we also want to encourage good sun safe habits for years to come."

The research also found those from Generation Z had the worst sun smart habits, with 54 per cent less likely to wear sunglasses to protect themselves from the sun compared to the other generations.

They were also more likely to never wear sunglasses when outside, compared to other generations.

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