10 Ways to Keep Glasses From Slipping Down Your Nose

Nothing is more annoying than a pair of glasses that keeps sliding down your nose. And they always slip at the worst possible moment — like when you’re trying to make a point or you need both hands to carry out a particular task. Luckily, there are some quick and easy ways to keep glasses from slipping that will save you a whole lot of frustration and keep you wearing your glasses with ease.

Before you decide to switch to contact lenses, let’s investigate why glasses keep sliding from their proper place and what you can do about it. There’s really no need to put up with slipping glasses a moment longer.

Why Your Glasses Need to Sit Correctly

Apart from the annoyance factor, there are other very practical reasons why you need to keep glasses from slipping.

For example, if you have certain kinds of prescription glasses — like bifocals or progressive lenses — these need to sit in a very specific place on your face. Your optometrist takes precise measurements of where your eyes are in relation to your glasses to make sure you can see both near and far away. If your glasses slip, you’ll be looking through the wrong section of the glasses and could end up with dizziness or headaches.

And of course, if you’re very active or play sports, you need to make sure you don’t lose your glasses in the middle of a training session — or worse, in the middle of a game.

This applies to kids too. So if your child regularly tells you, “Mom, my glasses keep sliding down my nose!” you may want to secure those glasses pronto or you’ll be paying for a new pair before you know it.

Why Your Glasses Slip

There are several reasons why glasses slip down the bridge of your nose or off your ears. For example:

• You may have oily skin

• You might have a narrow nose

• Your glasses could be too heavy

• The frames might be too wide for your face shape

• The arms could sit at the wrong place on your ears

• Your ears might be a bit lower on your face

Luckily there are also many ways to keep glasses from slipping.

10 Easy Hacks to Keep Glasses From Slipping

Some of these solutions are quick and easy hacks that any glasses wearer can manage with what you have on hand at home. Others require mechanical adjustments. If you try these, be very gentle. If you’re nervous you might break your glasses, you might want to ask your optician to do the adjustments for you.

Let’s look at some of the things you can do to keep glasses from slipping.

1. Reduce the oil on your skin

If your skin is naturally oily, try using a mild soap or facial cleanser regularly to remove buildup. You could also switch to a slightly less oily moisturizer. This alone can make a big difference and keep glasses from slipping.

If oil is an issue, you may want to nix the oil-filled products on your shelves. Instead, opt for oil-free skincare solutions and try to eliminate makeup or other skincare products from the bridge of your nose. Highlighting creams and powders are often applied to the nose bridge, but avoiding those areas may help reduce eyewear slippage.

2. Adjust the Screws

If it feels like the arms aren’t firm enough to hold your specs in place, you can use a small screwdriver to adjust the screws. Be careful you don’t turn them too hard though, and as we mentioned, if in doubt, see your optician.

It’s technically possible to strip these screws, and if they need replacing, you can likely find a spare screw in an eyeglass repair kit. However, these kits don’t come with microscopes, and it can be tricky to see closely to replace the screws.

3. Add Silicone Nose Pads

If your eyeglasses don’t have adjustable nose pads, you can add some yourself. Silicone nose pads stick to the bridge of your glasses, helping to keep them in place on your nose. You can use them on most styles of glasses and they’re practically invisible. They’re easy to apply and once applied, they can last a couple of months before they need to be replaced — provided they don’t get too wet or left in a hot place.

Adding a nose piece can help prevent slipping, but when you’re trying your customized nose pads on for size, make sure you pay close attention to the overall fit of your glasses. Adding nose pads can change how the arms fit over your ears — ideally, you shouldn’t notice you’re wearing glasses when you have them on.

4. Apply Eyeshadow Primer

This is an alternative to nose pads, and it has the advantage that it doesn’t change the way your glasses sit on your nose. It works in much the same way, adding some friction between your glasses and your skin. Apply the eyeshadow primer to your nose where your glasses touch the skin. You’ll obviously need to apply it every day and sometimes even reapply during the day if it wears off.

That said, if you have oily skin, this might be a no-go. Primer can cause a surge in skin oil — and if it doesn’t, your skin may absorb the primer itself.

5. Bend the Temple Tips

If you have plastic glasses, you can try heating the arms with a hair dryer. Then, if your glasses are too wide, bend the ends of the arms slightly inwards. Or, if the ends tend to slip off your ears, gently bend the tips slightly into more of a hook that sits securely behind your ears.

Your optician can also do this for you. If you have brand-new glasses, consider having them fitted at the same place you purchased them.

Don't worry, if you buy glasses online from Pair you have options too! Thanks to our National Eye Exam Partners, America's Best, you can use our store locator to find a localstore and go in person to ask for a glasses adjustment.

6. Choose a Different Material

Certain kinds of glasses, especially those made with metal frames, may simply be too heavy. Consider swapping to lightweight eyeglass frames. For example, many modern plastic frames are very light. Plastic glasses are no longer just for kids either. These days they come in many grown-up and trendy styles.

7. Apply Anti-Slip Nerdwax

Nerdwax helps your glasses stick by creating some friction between your face and your glasses, which is especially useful if you sweat a lot. It’s made from beeswax and is available on Amazon. Rub some of the wax coating onto the flat part of your frames where they sit on your nose and reapply as you need it. And if you get some on the rest of the glasses or your lenses, it simply rubs off. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to try some on a small patch of skin elsewhere first to make sure you don’t have a reaction to the glasses wax.

8. Use Hair Ties

Wrap hair ties or rubber bands snugly around the arms of your glasses, just behind the curve where they meet your ears. This adds a bit of extra height to the arms, which is helpful if your ears sit a little low. It also makes that section of the arms a bit thicker so they sit more snugly against your face if your face is narrow. And if you match the ties to your glasses and/or your hair color, they blend right in.

9. Get Eyewear Bands or Straps

Eyewear bands or straps are usually used by athletes to keep their glasses on while they’re moving, but there’s no reason you can’t use them for everyday wear too. They’re easy to use and adjustable, holding your glasses securely in place around the back of your head.

10. Add Ear Hooks

Ear hooks are made of silicone and attach to the curve of your frames. They hook at the back of your ears and keep glasses from slipping, no matter how active you (or your kids) are. They’re waterproof and durable and, as long as you keep them clean, they can last for years.

This is an easy option that islightweight and extremely comfortable, you’ll hardly notice they’re there. Pair Eyewear Ear Hooks even come in a range of colors, so you can choose whether to match or contrast them to your glasses.

The way glasses fit your face is important, and if you have ill-fitting glasses, you’ll probably always be distracted by slipping and pinching. If your current glasses aren’t working, it’s worth the extra effort to make a few adjustments or purchase a different pair.

Keep Your Eyewear in Place

You might have the best pair of glasses out there, but if they keep slipping down your face, you may be tempted not to wear them.

There are many different reasons your glasses may be sliding down your face — but they don’t have to. Whether you have a small nose, lower ears, or a narrow face, there are simple hacks that can keep glasses from slipping, no matter what style of glasses you choose. You can also ask your optician to adjust your eyeglasses for you, which often takes just a few minutes.

Find your next perfect pair of glasses at Pair Eyewear. Glasses start at just $60, including a prescription. Once you have your base pair, you can easily switch up your look with different Top Frames. Then if you need to fine-tune the ideal fit, use these tips to find the right solution to sliding glasses for you.