You’re hopping with excitement when your new glasses arrive in the mail. You rip the box open, stand in front of a mirror and put them on. Ugh – they’re crooked!
 
Don’t worry! It’s extremely common for new glasses to need some minor adjustments before they sit perfectly on your face. In the past, an in-store optician may have adjusted them for you when you bought them at 10x the price. But, these days, most simple fixes can be done by yourself at home.
 
It’s also handy to know how to make minor adjustments to your glasses because most glasses warp slightly from everyday use over time. With the instructions below, you’ll be A-ok!

Your Mouqy eyewear is made out of a strong, resilient material, but please use your own discretion when making adjustments. Avoid using excessive force, as this can damage your eyeglasses. You should also pay special attention to the material of your glasses as not all fixes listed below will work on all materials.

1. Your glasses feel lopsided

adjusting lopsided glasses
 
If you put on your glasses and feel that the frame tilts to one side, you simply need to adjust the arms of your frames (the bits that fit behind your ear) to make sure they’re even.
 
A helpful way to check is to put your glasses on a flat surface like a table. The earpieces should both rest on the table. If one is lifted off the table, you’ll need to adjust it to match the other.
 
hand pushing glasses hinge inward
 

  • The frame on the right feels higher than the leftWarm up your glasses arms using a hair dryer for 30 – 60 seconds. Gently yet firmly bend the left arm down at the hinge, or the bit of the arm that sits behind your ear.

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  • The frame on the left feels higher than the rightWarm up your glasses arms using a hair dryer for 30 – 60 seconds. Gently yet firmly bend the right arm down at the hinge, or the bit of the arm that sits behind your ear.

 
Adjustment tip: Make sure you’re doing this in small increments each time, or you’ll risk overbending the frames. Bend a little, assess them, and keep repeating until your glasses sit perfectly straight on your face.
 

2. Your glasses pinch your nose

adjusting glasses that pinches your nose
 
It’s never fun to wear a pair of spectacles that pinch the nose! Not only are they super uncomfortable, but prolonged pressure from the pinching can cause headaches. Fortunately, this can be remedied at home, but the method depends on the material of your frames.
 
hand pushing nosepad outward
 

  • If your frame is made of metalWiden the nose pads with your thumbs, until you no longer feel the pinch.

 
Important: Please only try this technique if you are using metal framed spectacles! Attempting this method with rimless or plastic glasses might cause permanent damage to your frames.
 

  • If your frame is made of plastic / acetateUnfortunately, most plastic / acetate frames don’t utilize a nosepad, which makes it much more difficult to make adjustments to the fit of the nose bridge. However if your glasses are pinching your nose, you may be able to purchase and glue some anti-slip silicone pads to the frame, which will act as a cushion to reduce pressure on your nose and help your glasses fit higher up on your face and make sure they fit better.

 
Adjustment tip: If neither of these methods work and the frame still hurts your nose, we would advise you to seek your closest optician or ophthalmologist for their professional help.
 

3. Your glasses constantly slide down your nose

glasses falling off from the nose
 
Having to constantly push your glasses back up because they are constantly slipping can be very irritating. The good news is that this is a really easy fix! Again, the method depends on the material of your glasses.
 
hand pushing nosepad inward
 

  • If your frame is made of metalPush the nose pads together with your fingers until your spectacles no longer slip down your nose.

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  • If your frame is made of plastic / acetateUnfortunately, most plastic / acetate frames don’t utilize a nosepad, which makes it much more difficult to make adjustments to the fit of the nose bridge. However you may be able to purchase and glue some anti-slip silicone pads to the frame which should stop them sliding down your nose.

 
Adjustment tip: Always bend the end of the arms slowly in small increments. This way, you’ll avoid bending it too much and making it too tight.
 

4. Your glasses are too tight or too loose around your temples

glasses feels to tight or loose around the temples
 
Frames that are too tight will cause headaches and other issues, while ones that are too loose can look odd and feel uncomfortable to wear. From the temple arms to the tips, your glasses should sit comfortably behind your ears and not cause any discomfort, even after long periods of wear.
 
hand pushing temple arm outward
 

  • Too tight around the templeWarm up your glasses arms using a hair dryer for 30 – 60 seconds to make them more pliable. Then, use one hand to hold the glasses in place. With your other hand, firmly grip the left arm of the specs and gently push it outwards to create a slight outward bend. Do the same with the right arm.

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  • Too loose around the templeWarm up your glasses arms using a hair dryer for 30 – 60 seconds to make them more pliable. Use one hand to hold the glasses in place. With your other hand, firmly grip the left arm and gently push it inwards to create an inward bend. Do the same thing with the right arm.

 

5. One side of your lens feels closer to the eye

one side of lens feels closer to the eye
 
hand pushing temple arm inward
 

  • Left lens is closer to the eyeWarm up your glasses arms using a hair dryer for 30 – 60 seconds to make them more pliable. Then, gently bend your left temple arm IN at the hinge, and the right temple arm OUT at the hinge.

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  • Right lens is closer to the eyeWarm up your glasses arms using a hair dryer for 30 – 60 seconds to make them more pliable. Then, gently bend the right temple arm IN at the hinge, and the left temple arm OUT at the hinge.

 

What causes glasses to warp over time?

Generally, all glasses will change their shape a little over time. After all, most of us put on and remove our glasses multiple times a day. This movement and pressure on the spectacle arms often leads to them loosening a little.
 
This is an ordinary part of everyday use and can usually be easily remedied at home. When this happens, you simply try out the manual adjustments as listed above.
 
However, if something drastic has happened to your glasses – for example, they’ve been dropped (oops) or sat on (it happens!) and twisted drastically out of shape, you’ll probably want to seek out a professional to see if they can be saved, or if you’ll need to purchase a replacement.
 

When to seek professional help

Making adjustments to your frame at home is actually quite easy, as we’ve shown above. However, frames made of certain materials should be sent to a professional for adjustments, or you can risk breaking them.
 
Use extra caution and consider consulting a professional if…
 

 
In these cases, avoid trying to fix them yourself. Otherwise, feel free to fine tune your frames with the guide above!
 
And if you’re in the mood for a new pair of glasses, make sure to browse our Mouqy range for high-quality and affordable glasses!