How to Adjust Your Glasses Frame at Home

Whether due to daily wear and tear or accidental bumps and squeezes, eyeglass frames often become crooked or misshapen. Learning how to adjust your glasses frame yourself can save you trips to the optician and ensure your eyewear remains comfortable at all times. Follow these simple steps and tricks to DIY adjust your glasses frame and maintain optimal fit.

Understanding Your Glasses: Parts to Know Before Adjusting

Endpiece
This is the "Endpiece(Lug)"

Bridge
This is the "Bridge"

Temple
This is the "Temple"

Tip
This is the "Tip"

How to Adjust Eyeglass Frames: A Step-by-Step Guide

Adjusting eyeglass frames for proper fit must follow this specific order:

  1. Tighten the screws
  2. Adjust the front of the frame
  3. Adjust the endpieces (lugs)
  4. Adjust the temple arms
  5. Adjust the temple tips
Adjust the order
Important: This order must be strictly followed for optimal results.

Step 1: Tightening the Screws - A Crucial Prerequisite

Before adjusting your eyeglasses, there's an essential prerequisite: tighten all screws on the frame. This step is crucial, especially for the screws on the endpieces (lugs). Here's why:

  • Tightening all screws ensures frame stability during adjustment.
  • Loose screws, particularly on the endpieces, may become permanently damaged if left loose during the adjustment process.
  • The force applied during adjustments can cause loose screws to strip, making them impossible to tighten later.

Step 2: Adjusting the Front of the Frame

Place the frame face down on a flat surface. Because our faces are curved, the lenses should normally tilt backward (upward) at about 8 degrees on the outer sides (See the figure below).

Correct Frontal Bending
Correct Frontal Bending

Adjustment is necessary if the frame curvature is abnormal, such as straight (See the figure below) or tilting forward (downward), adjustment is needed.

Wrong Frontal Bending
Wrong Frontal Bending

When adjusting, use your index finger and thumb to grip the welding points of the bridge to protect them from breaking during the adjustment process. Apply slight inward pressure with both hands, adjusting the curvature of the bridge to achieve the desired frame curve(See the figure below).

Adjust the Frontal Curvature
Adjust the Frontal Curvature

Looking down at the frame from above, when the upper and lower edges of one lens frame align, observe whether the upper and lower edges of the other lens frame also align. If they do, it indicates that the two lens frames are symmetrical, also known as symmetrical lens front tilt angle(See the figure below).

symmetrical front tilt angle
symmetrical front tilt angle

If they are asymmetrical(See the figure below), use both hands to grip the two lens frames and adjust the bridge through counterforce (See GIF below). Metal frames can be adjusted directly by hand, while plastic frames need to be heated before adjustment.

no symmetrical front tilt angle
No symmetrical front tilt angle
adjust bridge
Adjust bridge

Step 3: Adjusting the Endpieces(Lugs)

Observe whether the angles of the two temple arms are symmetrical (See the figure below).

Symmetrical temple
Symmetrical temple

If they are asymmetrical(See the figure below), we need to adjust the temple arm that is tilting outward.

Asymmetrical temple angles
Asymmetrical temple angles

Place the outward-tilting endpiece against the table surface, grip the lens frame with both hands and press forward(See GIF below)until the angles of both temple arms are symmetrical.

Adjust the temple outward angle Adjust the temple outward angle
Adjust the temple outward angle

Step 4: Adjusting the Temple Arms

Turn the glasses upside down and place them on a flat surface. This allows you to easily distinguish whether the heights of the two temple arms are consistent (See the figure below).

The two temples are vertically aligned
The two temples are vertically aligned

If the heights are inconsistent (See the figure below), we need to adjust the front tilt angle of one of the endpieces.

The two temples are not vertically aligned
The two temples are not vertically aligned

Hold the lens frame with one hand, and grip the endpiece that needs adjustment with the other hand. Bend it slightly upward or downward (See the figure below) until the heights of both temple arms are consistent.

Adjust the vertical angle of the temples Adjust the vertical angle of the temples
Adjust the vertical angle of the temples

Step 5: Adjusting the Temple Tips

Place the glasses on a flat surface. If the heights of the two temple tips are inconsistent (see image), bend the higher temple tip slightly (see image) to achieve consistent curvature and height for both temple tips (see image).

Tip bend is inconsistent
Tip bend is inconsistent
Adjust Tip
Adjust Tip
Tip bend is consistent
Tip bend is consistent

Conclusion:

Following these step-by-step adjustments, you've successfully restored your misshapen eyeglass frame to its proper form. This DIY approach not only saves you a trip to the optician but also empowers you to maintain your eyewear's comfort and fit. Remember, well-adjusted glasses not only look better but also provide optimal vision correction and reduce eye strain. Regular maintenance and adjustments can significantly extend the life of your eyewear and ensure continued comfort. With these skills, you're now equipped to keep your glasses in top condition, ensuring clear vision and comfort in your daily life.

During the adjustment process, you need to use gentle force several times and adjust little by little, otherwise it is easy to break the frame.

If there is an optical shop nearby, go there to adjust the frame as much as possible. They have professional adjustment tools.

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