Adjusting Frames the Right Way

Irrespective of the amount of care and maintenance you take regarding your pair of prescription glasses, you will come across occasions when you will need to adjust the pair. Even a slight misalignment of arms or lenses or even nose pads can lead to an uncomfortable eyewear experience.



Adjust the temple piece of the metal frame with needle nose pliers. An indication that the temple needs adjustment is if the frame looks off balance and doesn't sit properly. Don't use too much force to twist the metal frame or the weld at the temple will break.



Check if the earpieces on your glasses dig into the tops of your ears. If the glasses feel loose, push the curve inward gently with your hands. If you feel discomfort, you can either bring the curve of the earpiece in closer to your head to make the earpiece tighter, or make the earpiece curve further back on the glasses by straightening out the frames.



Put your glasses on and notice whether the glasses sit too high. If they do, use your fingers to spread out the nose pads a bit. Determine if the earpiece bends out away from your head. If this is the case, you may feel as if you have wings behind your ears. You can even often see these wings when you look in a mirror. You will need to have the earpiece adjusted to bring it in closer to your head.



Plastic arms may become less taut over time as you repeatedly fold and unfold your glasses. Tighten the screws on the hinges frequently just to make sure that the arms won't come loose unexpectedly. To adjust the bridge, hold the ends of the bridge just before it touches any of the lenses, and slightly add pressure to bend the bridge in a downward or upward motion. Don't make abrupt motions as this may cause your glasses to break. Set it aside. Then, hold the rim on side from which the lens was detached. Unscrew the hinge to loosen the rim, then gently place the lens back inside the rim. Hold the lens and the rim together, then tighten the screw. Tap the lens to make sure it is snug inside the rim.



While you can try to adjust the earpiece on your prescription eyeglasses by yourself, it is safest to bring your eyeglasses to a local eyeglasses shop to have them adjusted by a professional. Most shops will adjust eyeglasses for free. If you do choose to adjust the earpiece on your eyeglasses by yourself, be sure to make only small adjustments at a time. If you aren't careful or make large adjustments, you may break or damage your eyeglasses.