How to Fix the Nose Pads on Sunglasses if They Keep Slipping Down

People with perfect vision often wear sunglasses to protect their eyes from the sun's rays and reduce glare while driving. Since no prescription is necessary, consumers often purchase sunglasses from a department or clothing store rather than an eye care professional. As a result, sunglasses may fit poorly and slide off the nose when the wearer tilts her head down. You can fix loose sunglasses by adjusting or replacing the nose pads.

Things You'll Need

• Snipe pliers
• Eyeglass repair kit
• Pad popper

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Instructions

• 1

  Take off the sunglasses and inspect the nose pads to determine how they are mounted. Sunglass' nose pads may screw on, push on, snap in, slide on, clip on or stick on. They may also be built into the eyeglass frames.

• 2

  Gently bend the guard arms -- the arms that attach the nose pads to the frame -- with snipe pliers to bring the pads closer together to create a narrower fit around your nose. Not all sunglasses have guard arms, so ignore if your nose pads are built into the frames.

• 3

  Angle the pads, if possible, so they tilt 20 degrees toward your nose.

• 4

  Try on the glasses again. If the nose pads still slip after adjusting the guard arms and tilting the pads, you will need to replace the pads or add stick-on pads.

• 5

  Remove worn or dirty nose pads, if it is possible to remove them. Unscrew screw on pads with a small screwdriver found in eyeglass repair kits. Use a pad popper to remove push on or snap in pads. Gently unclip, slide off or peel off adhesive pads.

• 6

  Replace the old pads with new pads. If your sunglasses were always loose, choose nose pads slightly thicker than your old pair.

• 7

  Press adhesive silicone nose pads over your existing nose pads to make them thicker if your nose pads are impossible to remove, or if it's difficult to find a pair thick enough for your needs. Place the adhesive pads where the glasses hit your nose to ensure a snug fit.