How to Fix Crooked Glasses in 4 Steps
December 1, 2023 ⢠9:02 AM
Most eyeglass frames are designed to be fairly sturdy â but then life happens. Perhaps you fell asleep wearing them or left them on your car dashboard in the sun. Or maybe you dropped them or you regularly wear them as a headband. Before you know it, your specs are sitting askew on your face.
Of course, itâs also possible that they didnât fit correctly to begin with or got damaged on the way from your eyewear retailer.
Either way, you want to know how to fix crooked glasses.
Letâs start by getting clear on why crooked glasses donât work so well. Then weâll look at some solutions for how to fix crooked glasses so you can set your world straight again.
The Problem With Crooked Glasses
Sure, it might be annoying and look a bit disheveled, but how bad is it really to wear crooked glasses?
Prescription glasses are designed to work best when your eyes are centered in the lenses â and that goes double for multifocals (or progressive lenses). If theyâre not in the right place on your face, your eyes will constantly be trying to adjust so you can read or see into the distance (depending on your prescription). This makes it very difficult to focus and can potentially cause eye strain and headaches.
Also, if theyâre not sitting right, it can be uncomfortable to wear glasses for long periods. If theyâre too tight, they can pinch your nose or your temples â again potentially causing headaches â and if theyâre too loose, theyâll slip down your nose, which is annoying and again means your eyes wonât be in the right place within the lenses.
Adjusting Crooked Glasses Yourself
Letâs just say right up front that trying to fix your glasses yourself is a risky business. With just a bit too much pressure or a slip of the hand, you could cause further damage or even end up with broken glasses and need to buy a new pair.
Itâs worth knowing that many opticians will adjust your glasses for free. They already know how to fix crooked glasses and they have all the right equipment to do it.
If youâre still considering going the DIY route to make some minor adjustments, first check your eyeglass frame material.
Many frames these days are made of cellulose acetate. This type of plastic frame needs a little heat to soften it before you try to bend it.
If your eyeglasses have wire frames or some types of metal frames, you may not need to warm them first.
If the frames are made of memory plastic, titanium, or aluminum alloy though, stop right there and take them to your optical store â theyâre designed to resist any kind of manipulation. On the other end of the scale, rimless or semi-rimless glasses are often quite fragile, so theyâre also best fixed by a professional.
How to Fix Crooked Glasses
If youâre ready to give it a try knowing the risks of DIY glasses repair, hereâs what to do.
1. Gather What Youâll Need
Before you start, gather your equipment so you have it on hand.
A Small Screwdriver
Most eyeglass repair kits contain a small screwdriver, which is specifically designed for fixing glasses. If you donât have a kit, find a screwdriver that fits.
Some Heat
As weâve established, if youâre working with cellulose acetate, youâll need to heat it before you can adjust anything. Try one of these methods:
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Hold a hairdryer about 6 inches away and move it back and forth so you donât overheat the plastic.
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Let the part of the frame you want to work with soak in warm water (not hot water) or hold it under a warm running tap for 30 seconds or so, then remove it and dry it.
Be extremely careful not to apply too much heat or it might melt your plastic glasses. Also, be sure not to let the warm air or water anywhere near your lenses or you could damage your lens coatings.
Only warm the part of the frame youâre going to be working on and do it one section at a time, just before you adjust it.
Some Leverage
You can use your bare hands or a pair of pliers to make adjustments to your glasses.
Pliers are more precise but to minimize any damage, they need to be padded. You can simply buy padded pliers but if you donât want to do that, wrap them with tape or place a cloth between the pliers and the part of the glasses youâre working on.
2. Adjust the Hinge Screws
If one or both hinge screws are loose (this often happens with time), it can cause your glasses to look lopsided or to slip because theyâre opening too wide. Luckily, itâs an easy fix and always a good place to start.
Check both screws and if either is loose, use your screwdriver to gently tighten it â not too much though, or you might damage the frame material.
3. Identify the Issue
Put your glasses on and have a good look in the mirror to see if they still need fixing after youâve tightened the hinge screws.
For example:
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Is one side higher than the other?
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Is one lens closer to your eyes than the other?
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Are they sitting too high or low on your nose?
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Are they pinching or sliding?
4. Adjust the Frame
When you perform this step of how to fix crooked glasses, be very gentle and use as little pressure as possible. If you feel any resistance, stop immediately or you risk breaking the frames or the lenses.
And because a little goes a long way when you fix glasses, make very small adjustments and try them on after each one to check how theyâre looking.
Find your issue in the next sections for specific instructions.
Note: Weâll be referring to the different parts of your glasses so if youâre not sure what theyâre called, start by familiarizing yourself with them.
If One Side Is Higher Than the Other
Glasses can sit skew on your face for one of two reasons: either your glasses are crooked or your one ear is higher than the other (this is surprisingly common).
Regardless of the reason though, you can adjust this by bending the temple arm right by the hinge or just behind the curve at your ear.
Gently heat the part youâre planning to adjust. Then hold your glasses in the middle of the frame with one hand and use the other to bend the section youâve chosen.
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If the left side is higher than the right, bend the right arm down.
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If the right side is higher than the left, bend the left arm down.
If One Lens Is Closer to Your Eyes Than the Other
For this problem, you need to heat the temple arms right by the hinge:
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If the left lens is closer, bend the left arm in or the right arm out â or both â at the hinge
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If the right lens is closer, bend the right arm in or the left arm out â or both â at the hinge
If Theyâre Sitting Too High or Low on Your Nose
Many acetate glasses donât have nose pads but most metal ones do. If your glasses have nose pads, start with those. Hold the front frames firmly with one hand and use the thumb and index finger of the other to adjust them:
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If theyâre sitting too low or they keep sliding, squeeze the nose pads together.
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If theyâre sitting too high or are pinching, push the nose pads apart.
If your glasses donât have nose pads, youâll need to adjust the temple ends so they curve more to fit more closely behind the ears or are slightly flatter to fit more loosely. Heat the end section of the temple arms right by the curve, then:
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If theyâre sitting too low or they keep sliding, gently push the ends slightly down and inward.
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If theyâre sitting too high or are pinching, gently put the ends slightly up and outwards.
If your glasses still keep slipping, consider some other ways to stop this.
Your Backup Plan for How to Fix Crooked Glasses
If these methods donât work, itâs time to visit your eye doctor. If itâs possible to fix your glasses, theyâll make the necessary adjustments. Otherwise, they may recommend a new pair of glasses.
If youâre getting new glasses anyway, itâs worth getting your optometrist to do an eye exam beforehand. Itâs good basic eye care to check your vision regularly, and theyâll also confirm if you need any changes to your prescription lenses.
Then when youâre ready to order your glasses, start your search at Pair Eyewear. Our beautifully designed Base Frames suit a range of face shapes and you also get to express your personality through our extensive and versatile range of snap-on Top Frames. We cater to all types of prescriptions and will ship your new glasses right to your door.
Fix Those Crooked Glasses Sooner Rather Than Later
Glasses can be crooked for many reasons. They may arrive on your doorstep like that, be accidentally damaged, or suffer from normal daily wear and tear. Whatever the reason, itâs best to correct that misalignment as soon as possible.
The easiest way to fix crooked glasses is to ask your optician to fix them for you. For those who want to know how to fix crooked glasses themselves, there are several methods, including adjusting the screws or heating and bending the frames. When you go the DIY route though, bear in mind that thereâs a strong chance you might damage the frames further.
If it turns out that you need new glasses, head on over to Pair Eyewear. Our glasses offer quality, versatility, and style, all wrapped up in one handy package, and theyâll set everything straight.