Depending on what frame model I will guide you through the steps to put the lens back into the glasses.
How to Put the lens back in the Plastic Frame
In most cases, you do not need to use heat to reinsert the lens in glasses. So first we start without any tools. One of the most important things here is where you put the lens back in first.
- Slide the lens on the temporal side first into the frame.
- Apply a little pressure and press the nasal side into the frame.
- What is left is the lower nasal part of the lens. Here you can press the edges of the lens with your thumbs back into the frame.
- Examine if the lenses sit perfectly in the middle of the frame everywhere.
- If it does not sit in perfectly just take it out again redo the process.
In some cases, this approach does not work well because the lens is slightly bigger. If you failed multiple times without to warm the frame grab your blow dryer. Hold it at a distance of approximately eight inches away from the frame. Now warm the frame. Make sure to move the frame constantly around to apply the heat evenly.
If the heat gets applied on the other side where the other lens still sits in the frame the coating might be damaged. So try only to warm up the side you want the lens to put back in.
Also, flip the frame from front to back to warm the front and the back of the glasses frame. Now when the frame is warmed up and a little bit more flexible use extreme care when you perform the steps described above.
It is better to start over again and prevent a damaged frame instead of applying too much pressure.
Metal frame
If you have a metal frame and you want to put the lens back into the frame the easiest way to go about this is to open the rim lock with a screwdriver (cross head, slot or Torx is possible).
Before you place the screwdriver on the rim lock of your glasses make sure to place your fingers near the rimrock on the lens surface. This way if the screwdriver slips off you will not scratch the lens’s surface.
- If you place the lens in the open frame make sure the open frame does not slip on the lens surface to avoid scratches.
- If the lens sits fine in the middle of the metal frame close the rim lock with the screwdriver.
- A tweezer might be helpful to relocate the screw if it fell out.
Nylon frame
When the lens fell out of the nylon frame the nylon thread in the lower part of the lenses should be still intact. It is pretty straight forward to put the lens back in the glasses. But before you begin prepare a hard plastic band to stick in-between the lens and the nylon thread.
- Place the nylon thread from the upper half of the frame in the rill of your lens.
- Make sure the lens sits evenly in the frame.
- Stick the plastic band between the lens and the nylon thread.
- Pull the nylon thread and place it in the rill of the lens.
- Start with the temporal side and work towards the nasal side of the rill.
- When the nylon thread sits perfectly in the rill of the lens pull the plastic band out.
Voila. Now the lens is placed in the glasses again. The nylon thread needs to hold the lens fairly tight. So if you think the nylon thread is too wide you can shrink it a little by applying heat to it. Therefore just remove the lens (instructions can be found here) and heat it up.
In this case, you need to hold the blow dryer at a fairly close distance from the nylon thread. I recommend one inch. Be careful with heat as it could damage the coatings from your glasses. So make sure only the nylon thread of your glasses is heated up a little and only for a few seconds.
Rimless frame
When you need to put back a lens in a rimless frame you have probably lost a nut or a part that secured the lens in the glasses. So my first advice is to look for that part around you and in the case of your glasses.
I hope you found the nut and you can put it back on the screw to fasten it with a tweezer. But be careful. If you slip off your lenses can be damaged. If you did not find the nut I recommend you visit your eye care specialist. But if you need a solution now stick with me we need to improvise here now.
If the screw and the nut are missing get a really thin wire or a nylon thread pull it through the holes and tighten with a knot as shown in the video below.
If only the nut is missing take a plastic card and cut out a piece that is 4mm tall and wide.
- Now drill a little hole with your scissor in the middle of the plastic piece. Make the hole as small as possible. Get the plastic piece on the screw.
- Now rotate the plastic piece down towards the lens.
- Secure the plastic with a tiny drop of glue.
You need to be very cautious if you want to put back a lens in your glasses. I highly recommend you watch the videos in this article to fix your glasses. Even if you repaired them. Visit an eye care professional everything is perfectly ok with your glasses. He just has an eye for things a not experienced eye could easily overlook.
I wish you a great day.
