How to Adjust Glasses to Make Bifocals Lower

Bifocal lenses are designed to sit in a certain place in front of your eye. The placement varies depending on the style of bifocal and how you use them. If it becomes necessary to move a bifocal up or down, care must be used when adjusting the frame.

Things You'll Need

• Pliers

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Instructions

• 1

  Check the fit before starting. Make sure the frames are sitting straight. To test this, use your bifocal to read. Observing through your lens is the best way to see if your bifocals are straight. If one is higher than the other, adjust the height accordingly when lowering your bifocals.

• 2

  Spread the nose pads farther apart if the frame has adjustable pads. Do this by gently bending the thin metal attached to the pads out and away from the bridge of the glasses, using pliers or your thumb.

• 3

  Bend the temple, or "arm," of the glasses up slightly on both sides. This should be done carefully, so you don't loosen the hinges. Hold the front of the frame firmly as you bend up on one of the temples. Repeat on the other side.

• 4

  Widen the fit of a metal frame by moving both temples out. Cover the hinge and lens with a towel to protect them, and, using the pliers, bend the temple out slightly. Repeat on the other side. By widening the fit, the lenses should lower.

• 5

  Widen the fit of a plastic frame by heating it slightly to make it more pliable. Fill a sink with warm (not hot) water, and let the frame sit in the water for a few minutes. Remove the glasses, and gently push in on the bridge to expand the width of the frame.