How to Tighten My glasses

How to maintain your glasses

Finding the right pair of glasses is more than just getting a prescription and the style you love. You need to make sure your glasses fit correctly, are comfortable, and stay on your face without you having to constantly push them up. Even if you’ve chosen the perfect frame with the perfect fit, over time the constant wearing and removing of glasses can cause them to loosen, or become misshaped. 

Don't be afraid to take your frame that you purchased online into your optometrist for adjustment. The high street opticians are used to adjusting frames brought in that have been purchased from other practices or online, most opticians will adjust frames for free as a goodwill gesture, although some may ask for a donation to an eye charity they are sponsoring, however, you will find a few opticians who will make a nominal charge for adjustments - so choose wisely.

We advise that you take your frame to a highstreet optometrist for professional adjustments, at home DIY fixes can work, but they run the risk of breaking the frame, if the frame is broken by the optometrists they should replace it, if you break it yourself whilst making adjustment a replacement may not be given.

If you need to adjust your frame quickly, or can’t get into an optometrists, you may need to make minor adjustments yourself, before you do check out the diagram on the varying parts of a glasses frame, so you know your Temples from your Bridge.

Here are a few guidelines on how you can adjust different types of glasses at home.

How Can I Keep My Glasses From Sliding Down My Nose?

The constant sliding of glasses down the nose is one of the most annoying things that happen when wearing glasses! This is almost always the result of a poor fit, either you've bought the wrong size of glasses or if they did once fit perfectly then it is most likely the temple arms have worked loose, the bridge not fitting snugly on your nose or the ear hooks not wrapping securely around your ears. here's how to fix these issues:

1. Nerdwax or Eyeglass Grips: You can try using Nerdwax, which is a type of wax that can be applied to the bridge or nose pads of your glasses to increase grip, or eyeglass grips, which are adhesive silicone pads that stick to the inside of the temple arms to improve their hold. Both of these options help in adding additional friction to help keep your glasses in place.
2. Adjust the Nose Pads: If your glasses have adjustable nose pads, these can be gently moved closer together or further apart to increase or decrease the grip on your nose. This can also provide you with greater comfort, especially if you have sensitive skin.
3. Tighten the Temple Arms: If the temple arms of your glasses are too loose, they are probably the root cause of this issue. Tightening the hinges with a small screwdriver should do the trick!

How to Adjust My Glasses at Home

Before you make any adjustments, make sure your hands are dry to avoid dropping your glasses and use a soft, clean microfiber cloth to hold your glasses as you adjust them.

1. Adjust the Temple Arms: You can tighten the hinges using a small screwdriver, to prevent the arms from stretching apart too far.
2. Adjust the Bridge: If your glasses have a metal frame, you could potentially bend the bridge gently to better fit your nose. However, if you have plastic frames these are less flexible and if you attempt to bend the bridge you could end up snapping them.
3. Adjust the Nose Pads: The nose pads can be adjusted by gently squeezing them closer together for a tighter fit or moving them a little further apart for a looser fit. Take care when doing this as too much pressure can break the small "arm" of the nose pads.
4. Adjust the Ear Hooks: If your glasses aren't resting comfortably over your ears, the ear hooks might need adjusting. You can do this by carefully bending them down to increase the curve and create a tighter fitting, or bending them upwards to decrease the curvature, creating a looser fit. You may find it helpful to slightly heat the area with a hairdryer to soften the plastic frame, but be careful not to overheat it.
Remember, small adjustments can make the world of a difference, so always adjust slowly and check the fit regularly as you make each change.

How Do I Tighten Screws on Glasses?

There are tiny screws in the hinges joining the arms and the frame together. Occasionally, these can work loose and need tightening. To tighten them you will need a mini screwdriver, which is often included in glasses repair kits:

1. Hold the frame gently in one hand.
2. Use the screwdriver to slowly and carefully tighten the screw. Be cautious not to overtighten as this could strip the screw or even crack the frame.
3. Repeat for any other loose screws.

When to Take My Glasses to a Professional

While you can make several minor adjustments at home, there are times when it's best to take your glasses to a professional. Opticians have all the right tools and experience to make accurate adjustments without damaging your frames, and they will often do these for free or suggest a donation to their favourite charity

1. Significant Adjustments: If your glasses require a considerable amount of bending or reshaping, letting a professional do it is the best way to go.
2. High-Quality or Designer Frames: For high-quality, expensive, or designer frames, you should always seek professional help for any adjustments. These frames sometimes require specialist tools or techniques to adjust them properly.
3. Frames Under Warranty: If your glasses are under warranty, self-adjustment may void this. Always check the terms of your warranty before making any adjustments at home.
4. Persistent Discomfort or Poor Fit: If you've tried to fix it yourself but your glasses still keep slipping, it's time to consult a professional.

Don’t forget that your glasses are not just a fashion statement, you are ultimately using them to help with your vision. Making sure they are comfortable and looked after will serve you well in the long run. 

Although it is possible to adjust your glasses at home, we recommend having them adjusted by a professional, not only will they cover any damage they cause, they are move equipped to make minor and major adjustments to alter the shape, fit, and wearing experience.

A few minutes with someone experienced at glasses adjustments and your old frame can feel like new, and your new frame can have that made-to-measure feel.