How to Adjust Glass Frames

Glasses will come out of adjustment, even if you are very careful with them. The simple act of taking glasses on and off eventually will cause frames to loosen or tighten. Different types of frame materials require different adjustments. Care should be taken when adjusting glasses frames.

Things You'll Need

• Small screwdriver
• Needle-nose pliers
• Small hand towel

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Instructions

• 1

  Tighten all frame screws. Plastic and metal frames have screws that hold the temple, also called the "arm," to the front of the frame at the hinge. Cover the lenses with a small towel to prevent scratching them, and place the frame on a solid surface to steady it. Carefully tighten the hinge screws. Metal frames also have screws that hold the lenses into the frame front, also called the eyewire; these screws require retightening.

• 2

  Warm a plastic frame to adjust by filling a sink or bowl with warm, not hot, water. Heating the plastic makes the frame more pliable. You can also hold the frame under a running faucet, with warm water falling over the frame.

• 3

  Bend the front of the frame to angle, and round it to match the shape of your head once the frame is warm. Gently work and bend with minimal force to reform a slight curve to the frame. It is normal for frames to flatten and lose some of their curve, and reshaping them will help them fit better. Frames can also be made wider in the same manner, by reducing the curve if the frame is too tight.

• 4

  Use needle-nose pliers to bend metal temples in or out from the frame. If your frame is too loose, you can bend the temples in slightly. If your frame is too tight, you can spread the temples out. Pinch the frame near the corner where the frame meets the arm and bend, using minimal force and small movements.

• 5

  Bend the metal temples up or down, if your glasses are sliding down your nose or are hurting the back of your ears. Grasp your frame and hold it, so that the frame is sitting in the same direction as if you were wearing it. Move the metal temple at the curve of the temple -- the part that goes around your ear. Move up gently if your glasses hurt behind your ears. Move the curve down if your glasses are too loose.

• 6

  Adjust nosepads on a metal frame, if your glasses are sitting too high or low. Grasp the frame front and use your thumb and forefinger to widen or narrow the nosepads. Spread the pads out to lower the fit of your frame. Make the pads more narrow to raise the frame up on your face.