How to Bend the Earpieces of Eyeglasses

You can realign your frames yourself if you work carefully.

It’s easy for your eyeglass frames to get out of alignment. In fact, just taking your glasses off and on can do it. Fortunately, it’s pretty easy to bend frames back into position. However, this is delicate work. Always bend the frames gently and in small increments. Otherwise you can overwork the metal or plastic and damage the frames beyond repair or even break them.

Things You'll Need

• Small, needlenose pliers with ends encased in plastic
• Soft cloth
• Hot water or steam or a hair dryer

Instructions

Metal Frames

1. Put a cloth over the earpiece of your glasses to protect it from scratches.

2. Place the pliers over the cloth on the spot you want to bend.

3. Bend the earpiece slightly.

4. Try your glasses on. If they do not fit properly, repeat Steps 1 through 3.

5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 with the remaining earpiece if necessary.

Plastic Frames

1. 

   You need to heat plastic frames before you bend them.

   Apply heat to your frames. Either hold the frames over hot steam or under hot water for about 20 seconds or aim hot air from blow dryer on the frames.

2. Dry your frames thoroughly with a soft cloth.

3. Bend the earpiece slightly while it is still warm.

4. Try your glasses on. If they do not fit properly, repeat Steps 1 through 3.

5. Repeat Steps 1 through 4 with the remaining earpiece if necessary.

Adjustments

1. Tighten frames that are too loose by bending the earpieces inward.

2. Loosen frames that are too tight by bending the earpieces outward.

3. Make your glasses sit lower on your nose by slightly straightening the bend in the earpieces.

4. Make your glasses sit higher on your nose or prevent them from sliding down your nose by slightly increasing the bend in the earpieces. You can also bend the earpieces inward.

5. Make your glasses sit evenly on your face. If one of your ears is higher than the other, your glasses may sit somewhat askew when you wear them. To correct their alignment, bend the earpiece up on the side of your higher ear. If needed, lightly bend the earpiece down on the side of your lower ear, too.

6. Straighten an earpiece that is bent out of alignment. Place your glasses on a table. Both earpieces should lie flat on the table surface, and your glasses should remain stable if you tap the frame. If this is not the case, check to see if one of the earpieces is higher than the other. Gently bend the lower earpiece up.

Tips & Warnings

• If you take your frames to the retailer you bought them from, they will probably adjust them for free. Even if you go to a different retailer, you probably will have to pay only a small fee, or nothing at all.

• You may also need to adjust the nose pads to get your glasses to fit properly.

• If plastic frames get too hot, the plastic or finish can buckle and/or become marred.

• If you break or damage your frames when adjusting them, you probably need to buy new ones. The manufacturer or retail store you bought them from will not replace them.

• Adjusting your frames too often can wear out the metal and cause it to break.

References

• Eyeglasses.com: Adjusting Your Eyeglasses
• GlassesCrafter.com: How to Reshape Bent Glasses
• VisionRx: Eyeglass Frames

Resources

• Eyeglass Guide: Keeping Your Frames Properly Maintained