After a few years, every frame for eyeglasses needs to be replaced whether it is made out of metal or plastic. In most cases, the right time to replace it after four years of wear. If you want to fit new glasses into an old frame oftentimes you can. but you should know about the changes in the material of the frames and fewer chances of getting spare parts for your eyeglasses frames.
After four years oftentimes corrosions of the frame’s surface sets in. The polished parts of the frames become a little dull. In some cases, white or yellow spots appear on the surface of the frame. When you have a closer look at the part of the temples facing your head oftentimes you can spot green rust on your glasses.
This rule of thumb I gave you when the signs of wear show up is mostly correct when the glasses are worn every day and from morning till night time. Wearing your glasses less or when your sweat is less aggressive can lead to a frame that is still in great condition in which you do not need to replace it.
In most cases, the parts where you should look at to decide to replace them or not is where the glasses frame touch your skin the most. This is true for the temples and the nose bridge. When you turn your glasses around and look at the spots you will probably find similar corrosive spots shown in the pictures below.
You can talk about those signs of wear with your optician. When they just seem to appear on the surface oftentimes the optician can grind those spots and polish them so you do not need to replace your glasses and they look like new. This will not work in the example shown below because the frame is made out of TR90 which can not be published.
3 Clear Signs Tell You When You Need To Replace Your Glasses Frames
- Color changes in the material
- Little cracks showing up on the surface of the frame
- When green rust sets on your glasses and can not be cleaned and touches your skin
When the color changes of the frame go deeper than the surface it is time to replace them in most cases. You will not get rid of the color changes. So polishing the frame will not have an effect. On top of that plastic frames usually get more brittle the more they change the color over the years.
In this case, you can talk to the optician and see what he or she suggests. When spare parts are still available for your frame maybe you just need to switch the temple tips which is oftentimes even done for free at your local optical.
But not all frames have the option to just change some parts of the glasses. When you need to replace them your optician might alternative solution for your problem like using a different type of frame material that doesn’t corrode as fast.
Typically titanium is a material that still looks great longer compared to a plastic frame made out of acetate. I saw frames made out of titanium that looked great even after ten years. But of course, this is highly dependent on how you use the frame, how aggressive your sweat on what materials and coatings are used.
But the information we talked about here until now is just the slow decay of the frame. There are of course signs when you need to replace your frame for eyeglasses right away.
When little cracks are visible in the material it is only a matter of time when the frame will break down. Of course in such a case it is good to replace the frame right away so you do not need to look for the next optical shop and need to pressure them to find a fix for you.
Another sign is when the frame just doesn’t fit that well anymore. You need to have a perfect match between your frames and your prescription glasses. And if you’re experiencing headaches, fatigue or dizziness those are signs of discomfort due to ill-fitting eyeglasses.
The final sign is the frame starts to fade and color changes. This happens due to exposure to UV light which hardens the material, fading it out over time. When you are outside often those environmental influences can play a big role on how long you can keep your glasses frame.
When you need a new frame for your eyeglasses there are two options: purchase another one or have them repaired at an optical shop if they’re still in good condition.
That being said the optician can oftentimes even fix cracks or a broken frame and in the end, this would be a more economical option. Depending on the material the optician can weld or fuse the parts together which would be another option to extend the time until you need to replace your glasses.
When the repair job was done correctly on your glasses you can even see a trace of the crack. Sometimes a new coating gets applied and your frame looks like new.
If you’re not sure whether your glasses are still fitting, ask at an optician’s office or just buy another one if it has been long enough since the last time you got them checked out.
I am an optician and recommend a checkup at least every twelve months. But I have some clients coming in for checkups more frequently. The reason is as I said aggressive sweat or even bad experiences with a certain part of the frame which broke down a couple of times in the past.
When you have to deal with those kinds of problems after getting new glasses just for a couple of months or weeks I really like to replace the frame fast with another model for my customer so the rest of the time wearing the glasses will be free of problems.
Usually, when the frame is brand new and some parts easily break on the frame they will constantly nag you because you have then to return them to the office so they can repair it. This is why I replace frames fast when problems come up and the glasses are fairly new.
Conclusion
You should replace your frame when it’s been a long enough time, or if they’re not fitting correctly. Frames are made to last for about four years, but some might last longer than others depending on the material. You can always ask at an optician’s office and see what they say; every one of them has experience with when it is the right time to replace a frame.
If you feel like something is wrong with your glasses, just buy a new one because that would be cheaper in the long run versus getting them fixed. When replacing frames make sure the ones you get seem right-fitting so you don’t have to do this again in three to four years!
I wish you a great day.
