I live in a city with a high percentage of Asian residents, and one of the things I've been seeing a lot around town recently (mostly on drivers) are these strange full-face visors. They are similar to those cheesy translucent plastic visors that were popular in the 80s, except that the plastic area has been greatly enlarged, and a hinge has been added to allow the visor to swing down in front of the face. This has the unfortunate effect of making the wearer look like a dental hygienist or a welder.

I got curious and did a little research, finding this article: http://www.sinosplice.com/weblog/archives/2004/07/. Apparently these crazy visors are just umbrella alternatives that are intended to prevent premature aging due to facial sun exposure, and they are all the rage in China right now. I was hoping for an explanation that was more fun than that, but at least my curiosity has been satisfied.