How We Repair Eyeglasses

Step-by-Step Tips to Fix Common Eyeglass Problems

Imagine buying a pair of nice frames for your daily prescription wear, or a pair of sunglasses, and accidentally breaking them! You’ll probably panic right away and want a solution almost immediately. You spent your time and money looking for the ideal eyewear to suit your wardrobe, style, and workplace needs. Before you grab that glue gun and start fixing your glasses, here are some ways you can repair your frames so you can avoid more damage to your eyewear.
Glue Broken Frames
If your frames have broken apart and you need a quick fix, a glue of high quality can hold them together before everything breaks into smaller pieces! Nowadays, you don’t have to worry about the glue drying into a white, unattractive, color. There are super glues out there that dry clear with less mess. What you need to do first is clean your frame of any dirt or residue before you attempt the glue process. Nail polish remover works wonders in being able to remove the residue around your frame. Avoid using pure acetone on your frames (especially wooden ones) as it can be very rough and drying to plastic or wooden frames. All you need to do is apply the super glue lightly and hold the broken pieces together for at least one minute to ensure the proper adhesion.


Repairing Hinges
Sometimes a hinge is stretched out or it’s loose. In order to repair this part of your eyewear, you’ll need some pliers. In order to avoid scratching your frame, cover the tips of the pliers prior to using them to bend the hinges in a gentle manner. In the covering process, you can use a cutout soft cloth or tissue – this also helps prevent scratched lenses. To complete the repair, you will also need a small rubber ring, or rubber band, to secure the loose hinge into place. If you’re wondering where to get these small rubber bands, most eyeglass repair tool kits will carry them. The hinge area is a delicate area and it holds most of the eyewear branding in place. For instance, if you look at a lot of designer frames, you will see logos, bling or any special décor around this area. If you have any bling coming loose around this area, you can also use super glue to place the décor back on and finish by applying clear nail polish to ensure they stay in place.


Loose Screw
Screws get loose all the time and sometimes, they come completely apart and the entire frame crumbles. A great tool to have in your eyewear repair kit is a mini screwdriver. It can make the difference between your eyeglass having a minor break or a big one. If you broke your sunglasses or daily glasses, you need something to hold them together. Take your screwdriver with you and use it to tighten your frames to secure any loose ends. If you also need that extra hold, apply some clear nail polish around the screws prior to wearing your glasses. What if you lost the screw? Now what? You can either go buy an eyeglass repair kit and find a new screw within or, you can use safety pins. These safety pins have to be miniature and able to slip into the screw hole with minimal force. If it doesn’t fit, don’t force it. Forcing anything into the screw hole will lead to more breakage.
Broken Bridge
Repairing a broken bridge is doable with the right tools. All you need: paper and glue. Try to use a color of paper that matches your frame. Again, it’s important to clean your frame of any residue prior to starting and make sure your hands are clean – the idea is to have a temporal fix that has minimal manipulation. First, use the super glue to bring the pieces together then tear the paper into strips that can be wrapped around your frame. Hold your frame for a few minutes until it dries prior to using the strips to wrap around the bridge area.

With these temporal eyeglass repairs, you can hold your frames and lenses together until you’re able to get them into the hands of an expert for a more permanent repair.

The Popularity Of Sunglasses

Why Investing in Quality Sunglasses and Repairs Matters

For decades, sunglasses were often viewed as a disposable summer accessory—something to be picked up at a gas station and replaced every few months. However, the last 20 years have seen a massive shift in how we understand eye health and optical engineering. Today, investing in a high-quality pair of sunglasses is no longer about vanity; it is about long-term vision preservation and the value of superior craftsmanship.

As of recent industry research, nearly 89% of men and 83% of women now wear some form of sunglass protection. This shift is driven by a deeper public understanding of the cumulative damage caused by UV radiation. At All American Eyeglass Repair, we’ve seen this evolution firsthand, adapting our expertise to support the sophisticated engineering found in brands like Maui Jim, Ray-Ban, Silhouette, Serengeti, and Bolle.

sunglasses-repairs-services-frames

The Engineering Behind the Investment

When you invest in a premium pair of sunglasses from a brand like Oakley or Nike, you aren’t just paying for a logo. You are paying for years of research and development.

  • Optical Clarity – Lower-end lenses often have slight “waves” or imperfections that cause subtle eye strain and headaches over long periods of wear. Quality lenses are ground to precise tolerances to ensure a zero-distortion view.
  • Material Integrity – High-end frames utilize advanced materials like Monel, Titanium, and hand-carved Acetate. These materials are designed to be adjusted and, more importantly, repaired.
  • Specialized Coatings – Whether it is the color-enhancing technology of Serengeti or the salt-water resistance of Maui Jim, these treatments are investments in how you experience the world.

With the average cost of quality sunglasses now exceeding $120.00—and many specialized models reaching $300 or more—these frames have become a legitimate asset. Discarding them over a minor mechanical failure is like trading in a car because of a flat tire.

The “Hard Life” of a Performance Frame

It is a paradox of eyewear: we are significantly rougher on our sunglasses than we are on our standard prescription glasses. Because sunglasses are synonymous with an active lifestyle, they endure stresses that “office” glasses never face.

Consider the physical toll of a typical weekend:

The “Headband” Tension 

Pushing glasses onto the top of your head or over a ball cap is the most common cause of frame failure. It creates a constant outward tension that eventually “springs” the hinges or snaps the bridge.

Environmental Stress

Exposure to salt air, sand, and extreme heat (like the dashboard of a car) can cause screws to back out or nose pads to degrade.

The Amateur Athlete Factor 

We wear our shades for golf, tennis, skiing, and cycling. In these environments, accidents aren’t just possible—they are expected.

Sustainability Through Repair

In a world of “fast fashion” and disposable products, choosing to repair a high-quality frame is an act of sustainability. A well-made frame from a brand like Silhouette or Bolle is designed to be serviced.

Professional repair, such as precision laser welding, allows a broken metal frame to be fused back together with a bond that is often stronger than the original factory solder. This allows the owner to maintain the custom fit and broken-in comfort of their favorite frames while saving a significant amount of money compared to buying a replacement pair.

In Summary

Investing in quality sunglasses is a commitment to your long-term eye health and a preference for better craftsmanship. Because these frames are built to a higher standard, they deserve a higher standard of care. Before you consider discarding a pair of sunglasses you’ve invested in, remember that true quality is always worth restoring.

Did your favorite sunglasses just break? Don’t panic! Visit our store or mail in your glasses today for a professional restoration.

What Sunglasses Are Best For You

Learn Which Sunglass Lens Colors Work Best for Your Eyes and Activities

There are several sunglass tints on the market, and a question we get nearly everyday is….”.What color lens is best”? That question really needs to be answered with a question. I know something we are taught to never do, but in the case the follow up question is warranted: What are you going to use these for????

Gray lens: The most popular tint, is great for everyday use, is a very good driving lens and is the closest lens color in keeping actual color in its truest form. This lens is also considered the best lens in bright sunny conditions, especially in areas of the country where bright sunny days with high blue skies are more frequent. These lens may sometimes have a hint of Green.

Amber or Brown: Very similar to the gray lens, this lens sometimes has a “soothing effect”, and is considered a more versatile lens by many owners.

Rose: A Rose tint on a Sunglass frame is very good in low light conditions, many customers just like the color contrast to the frame with the Rose lens, but this lens will help enhance objects on cloudy days, and are a great choice at sunrise/sunset.

Yellow: A specialty lens used by Shooters, Pilots and skiers, and motorcycle riders at night, this lens can help take away shadowy areas.

Each individual will have their own sensitivity to color and brightness and will need to try on several tints to see what works best, however the bottom line………….YOU ONLY GET ONE SET OF EYES, please take care of them and if you need repairs visit us here: Sunglasses repairs.