FIX YOUR FIT

Every common problem has a cause and a fix.

Glasses problems are mechanical, which means they're diagnosable. Here's the field guide.

Slipping down the nose. Cause: bridge too wide, pads angled wrong, or temples too loose to anchor the front. Fix: narrow the bridge fit (pads angled inward, or a different bridge), tighten the temple grip, or both. If it only happens when you look down, the temples are the culprit.

Pinching temples. Cause: front too narrow or temple arms too short, squeezing the sides of the head. Fix: an optician can widen acetate fronts with heat or adjust metal arms outward — often free, takes minutes. Headaches that build through the day almost always start here. Don't tough it out; get it adjusted.

Crooked sit. Cause: one temple arm bent differently than the other, or an asymmetric bridge — most faces are slightly asymmetric, so this is normal. Fix: stand in front of a mirror, close one eye, and check whether the front is level. An optician evens the arms in one visit. Never bend them yourself; you'll snap a hinge or void a warranty.

Lashes touching lenses. Cause: too little vertex distance — the lenses sit too close to the eyes. Fix: pads adjusted to push the front out, or a frame with more standoff. Common with long lashes and strong prescriptions.

One boundary: fit is mechanical, but your eyes aren't. If glasses cause persistent pain, dizziness, or vision problems, that's an optician or eye doctor conversation — not a fitting tweak.

"Fit problems are mechanical. Diagnose the cause, don't just endure the symptom."