Why Do Glasses Loosen Over Time?


When you wear glasses for a few years now you may wonder why they do loosen over time? In this article, you will learn why they can get loose how to avoid it and which materials may not loosen as fast. When the glasses do not fit perfectly anymore it is due to one of the reasons listed below:

  • The material the glasses are made of is slightly bent
  • The hinges are not anchored perfectly in the glasses
  • A screw needs to be tightened
  • There is a crack in the frame and the glasses lost stability

Glasses have movable parts. Those pars are connected with hinges. In most cases when glasses loosen up the material is just a little bent and needs to be carefully bent back into the correct shape so it is sitting optimally again. This usually happens because not only do the hinges move but the frame itself also has a bend when the glasses are put on or off.

As this happens daily those movements in the material can cause the glasses to loosen up. This happens even faster with plastic frames made out of acetate compared to glasses frames made out of metal. For plastic frames, it is often enough to store them in your car on a sunny day and they will loosen up due to the heat.

Try not to store them directly in the sun and read on to try to habits which might cause loosen up your glasses as well.

Why Are My Glasses Getting Loose?

A lot of people their glasses on and off a bit carelessly. In such a case they use only one hand. As a result, the frame of the glasses needs to flex a little more on one side compared to the other. This asymmetrical load distribution obviously taxes the material and the hinges more compared to when using both hands when putting the glasses on and off.

This is especially true when on temple always seems to loosen up and is positioned at a wider angle compared to the counterpart when the hinges are fully extended. In general, you should avoid putting stress only on one side of your glasses. So for example do not lay down on one side of your glasses as this will bend them very quickly. Not only can they bend but the components on your glasses can also loosen up because the connection between the materials is lost.

For example, the hinges are usually fused in the plastic frame or welded to the material. Constant pressure or drag from one side could cause the connection to loosen up over time. In such a case the repair is not as easy as simply bending the material back into the shape it was before. Components need to be replaced when little cracks get detected by your optician.

When the glasses frame actual is not bent but the temple moves very loosely the screw is oftentimes the problem. In such a case the optician will check the threads of the screws. In some cases, it is as easy as replacing the screw which only takes up a couple of minutes and in other cases, the thread needs to be redone. When this happens a new screw little bigger screw gets inserted and the tighter fit of the screw in the thread is established.

The result is the temple will not move as loosely anymore. When the thread actually looks but the temple still loosens up very quickly your optician has special pliers to apply pressure to the screw which makes it expand a little in the thread and leads to a tighter fit of the screw in the thread. This will also make the glasses fit better over a longer period of time.

Do Glasses Stretch Out Over Time?

It is normal for glasses to stretch out a little over time. The material of the glasses gets stretched out a little when you put the glasses on and flexes back a little. This makes it possible to provide enough stability for daily use and keeps and provides you as a wearer with greater comfort when you put them on or off.

However, this is a compromise in regards to how stiff the materials of glasses are. The daily bending of the glasses frame induces a little stress on the material. This is what stretches the material out. But when you use your glasses daily putting them on and off is of course not all the mechanical stress the glasses have to endure.

Sometimes you lay on them. In other times they fall down and sometimes children grab them and twist them a little. But how much stretching out is normal for glasses you may ask now? Typically a readjustment for a stretched-out pair of glasses is needed every 12 months. This is a rough estimate because some frames never need a readjustment while others might be stretched out after six months.

When you buy new frames you can not tell how prone frames are to stretching out quickly. But usually the professional can. Because he or she has experience with the materials and repairs and readjusts them daily. Typically plastic frames are more prone to be stretched out especially when used in very warm environments. Obviously, there are different plastic materials available and some of them will not stretch out at all.

But the most used material is acetate when it comes to plastic frames. This material (depending on the ingredients) stretches out more easily when the frame is made in a lighter thinner style. If you are interested in how to fit adjust your glasses in a do it your self approach I have articles here for you ready for, plastic and metal frames.

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