After extended use, eyeglass frames could slip, press on your nose, hurt your ears, or just look crooked. You can take your glasses to an optometrist to have them adjusted, or you can simply adjust them yourself by following the steps in this article.
Table of Contents
Decide what adjustments need to be made
Stand in front of a mirror and look straight ahead.
Put the glasses on so the center of the lens is in the middle of your eyes. This is the optical center and the ideal place for your glasses. All adjustments to your glasses should be made to achieve this optimal position. If you have bifocal lenses, they should line up with the lower lid. If you have trifocal lenses, the top line must be at the bottom of the pupil.
Look for problems with the temples.
If your glasses look crooked or tilted sharply to one side, it’s probably the result of crooked temples. One way to test the temples is to lay your glasses on a flat surface. Both brackets should rest evenly on the base. If not, you’ll need to adjust them. If your glasses sit straight on your face but are askew on a flat surface, it could mean that one of your ears is higher than the other. The temples should be curved to compensate for differences in ear height.
Identify problems with the nose bridge.
Check the height of your glasses sitting on your face. If the lenses are too high or too low, it is likely a problem with the nose bridge. Then you need to adjust that part of your glasses.
Check if the glasses pinch or slip.
Your glasses might sit in the middle of your face and at the right height but still feel loose or tight. You can adjust the tightness/looseness of your glasses by bending the temples outwards or inwards as needed. Bending the temples outward will relieve unnecessary pressure on the sides of your head or temples. On the other hand, bending the temples inwards makes them fit tighter on the sides of your head.
See if she’s slipping.
You may find that even though everything else seems to fit, your glasses still slide off your face. If that’s the case, you can easily adjust the screws that attach the temples to the lenses.
Make the adjustments
Balance the stirrups.
The temples reach over and around the ears and hold the frame. After determining what adjustments need to be made, you need to consider the style of your glasses. Correcting the problem differs between plastic and metal frames. For metal frames, gently bend the temples with small pliers until they are straight. Put on the glasses and check in the mirror to make sure they fit properly. For plastic frames, the plastic at the bottom of the temple needs to be heated using a warm air source, such as a hair dryer, to make it pliable. Slowly push the plastic up your hands until it is in the desired position. Be careful when using the hair dryer, as you could melt the plastic. Another method of bending plastic frames is to run them under hot water for 15 to 25 seconds before attempting to make any adjustments. The hanger should become flexible enough to adjust. But be careful. The plastic can crack even when heated.
Adjust the temple tips.
If the glasses dig into your ears on the side of your head, you can bend the end of the temples outward. If the glasses are too loose, turn the temple tips towards your head. Again, how you achieve this depends on what type of frame you have. This adjustment can be made with pliers or even with your bare hands for metal frames. For plastic frames, you’ll need to use either hot water or hot air to soften the plastic before you bend the end of the temple.
Tighten the screws at the temples.
This will fix glasses that slip off your nose and keep the lenses secure in the frame. This repair requires a very small screwdriver. These small screwdrivers are commonly found in regular eyeglass cleaning and repair kits. Be careful not to over-tighten the screws or risk damaging the plastic or metal holding them.
Fix the nose pads for more comfort.
If the glasses sit too high on your face, the nose pads must be pushed further apart. You must press the nose pads together further if the goggles are too low. Try to ensure you’re squeezing both nose pads together or apart at the same distance to maintain the symmetry of your glasses.
Avoid breaking your glasses
Make minor adjustments.
Never make huge, dramatic adjustments to your glasses at once. It can often be more difficult to bend glasses back into the correct position after a repair than to make the original adjustment. Make only minor adjustments, check the glasses, and keep making minor adjustments until corrected.
Avoid breaking them.
Always apply the least amount of pressure when making repairs to plastic frames to make the necessary adjustments to the glasses. If you use too much force, heated plastic frames can break. Then your glasses are permanently destroyed.
Take precautions.
If using pliers to adjust your glasses frame, wrap the ends with tape. This will prevent you from permanently scratching the frame or lenses. There is no way to get rid of these scratches. This way, even if your glasses fit properly, they could look like a dog chewed on them.
Find out about your frame.
There are a few styles of glasses that are made from materials that cannot be customized. Titanium, memory plastic, or aluminum alloy frames resist bending, tampering, or adjustments.
You should know when to give up.
While you can make simple adjustments for a better fit of the glasses, there may come a time when it would be wise to buy a new one. Maybe you’ve made multiple adjustments to the frame, nose bridge, or temples, and the glasses still don’t feel right. Then it might be time to bite the bullet and get new glasses. After a few years, some glasses can no longer be saved. As a side note, you should have your eyes checked at least once a year to ensure your prescribed lenses are still ideal for your vision.
Tips
Always store your glasses in a protective case to prevent scratches and extend the life of your frame. If you can’t figure out how to do it, you can also go to the optometrist. Note that most opticians offer this service for a small fee or free. Protect the lenses from smudging and scratching using a microfiber cloth to hold the glasses while you fix them. Eyeglass repair kits are available in eyewear stores, pharmacies, and supermarkets.
Warnings
Be careful when bending glasses. Excessive force or frequent manipulation can damage the frame or lenses.
