How to Tighten Sunglasses

Sunglasses are awesome. They protect your eyes from the sun and can make a fashion statement. And, the sunglasses lenses are prescribed, they help your vision. But when they get stretched out, they are very obnoxious. Here are some tips so you can get them back in shape yourself...

Parts You May Need to Adjust

There are several parts on sunglasses or regular glasses that can come loose. You may need to tighten them from time to time. The frame area (plastic or metal), nose pads that fit on the bridge of your nose, screws that hold the glasses in place, and arms that go across your temples are sunglasses parts that you can adjust to easily fix if you know how. It's imperative to adjust and tighten the right way, though or you can ruin your sunglasses or glasses.

Metal and Plastic Frames

Sunglasses frames can be made of metal or plastic. You can adjust both types but the adjustment will vary depending on exactly what piece you need to fix and what it is made of.

To repair plastic frames, you will want to diagnose the problem. If one of the screws that hold it to the arm that goes over your ear is loose on the side, you can simply tighten the screws with a tiny eyeglasses screwdriver which is sold in the area where glasses repair tools are sold. Problem solved!

It is imperative for the frame to fit your face so that they literally frame it and are the proper distance from your eye. If after some gentle repair attempts, if the frames still don't fit right on your face and they are interfering with your eye sight, take them to a professional for repair. If your face frames are too loose, they can fall off and the lenses can bust. They can also irritate your eye if they are not the correct distance from them.

If the Glasses Arm Comes Loose

The arm of glasses or sunglasses takes a beating. It is constantly being held on to when putting sunglasses on or taking them off and is responsible for keeping the frames snug to your face and on your nose. When the arms come loose, you can tighten the screw using a small eyeglasses screwdriver.

If tightening the arm doesn't solve the problem, you may need to bend the arm to adjust it back into place. A metal arm can be gently manipulated to make it bend back into shape. Plastic frames may break if you bend them, however.

Hair Dryer to Adjust Plastic Glasses

When plastic sunglasses or glasses need adjustments because they are too loose on your face or slide down your nose, you need to make the frames more pliable so they don't snap. To make minor repairs, run the plastic part under hot water for a few seconds or heat with a blow dryer for several seconds or up to three minutes. Once the plastic is soft, mold it into the shape that repairs the problem and makes it tighter. This system can be used to repair loose fitting frames, arms, lens, or nose pad.

In the event that the frames of your glasses are sliding down your nose, you can tighten them by bending the earpiece into a 90-degree angle which will cause the frame to hold the lenses better at the temples and will give them a tight fit. Be sure not to make them too tight though.

Once your glasses fit the way you want them to, seal the repair so they don't bend anymore. Hold the eyeglasses by the nose piece (not the lens) and gently tighten the frames while you run warm, then cold water over the area you made the adjustments. Using warm water prior to cold water will help ensure the frame doesn't get too brittle. The frame will return to its harder state.

Glasses Nose Pads

When sunglasses or glasses nose pads don't fit on your nose correctly, your shades will slide. You'll have to continually push them up by the hinge. The arms are likely to not fit properly either and the lens can easily become stretched out. Hold the eyeglasses by the frame and see if the a tiny screw is securing the nose pad. You may need to tighten it using a very small eyeglasses screwdriver.

Gently manipulate to apply pressure the nose pad of your glasses back into place, trying on the glasses after each pressure adjustment to see if they fit better. Continue the process of applying gentle pressure until the problem is solved. To avoid breaking them if they still don't fit your face well after working with them, don't push your luck. It's a sign they may require professional servicing.

Glasses Tips

If you have a pair of sunglasses or glasses that don't fit well and you've tried all the tips to no avail, you may need to take them in for service at an optometry clinic. It is better to pay for the service on the side than to deal with ill-fitting glasses or sunglasses and if they are prescription glasses, you can't afford to be without them if you can't apply an easy fix them right. You risk damaging the loose glasses even more if you aren't gentle or don't have the right tools at home to correct the problems. If you try and don't succeed, don't keep trying.

Glasses aren't free and when you find a pair you like (especially if they are prescription), you want to keep them. It is worth a few bucks to make sure they check out so they fit and feel right and don't slip or slide. Snug fitting pair of great glasses is simply priceless.

Metal and Plastic Frames

When you shop for sunglasses or glasses, you may be wondering which is the easiest to make repairs on such as tightening the fit. Metal is more flexible in its natural state but that also makes them more vulnerable when you wear them, more apt for a hinge to become loose or an arm to stretch out of place causing slipping so they slide.

Plastic glasses frames provide a harder surface and are less given to slipping. But, they can easily be broken when you attempt to repair them. When you heat the surface of the glasses with warm air or water, they become flexible and you are able to tighten them so you can wear them comfortably.

Ensure whichever glasses you pick have a tight hinge and are made with quality parts and afford a secure fit on your face when you purchase. Avoid having to push them up. Check them beforehand prior to taking them home.

The type of material your glasses are made of is up to you as long as they feel great and look great too.