What to do if your glasses break
Everybody who wears glasses has had that horrible moment where they hear a crunch beneath their feet or a crash to the floor. They look down and an arm is bent or the frame is cracked. Sadly if you own glasses chances are at some point in time they’re going to break. Whether it’s wear and tear, an errant foot or gravity your glasses will eventually need some sort of repair if you own them for long enough.
Knowing what to do if your glasses break is important. It can help get you back to your day or get by until you can get to an optician. There are also some things you can do to keep seeing while you get them fixed. Here are some basics of what you should do if your glasses break.
Take them in
Many glasses retailers offer free repairs. If yours does you can take your glasses in to get adjusted for free. If you bought your glasses online there is probably no such offer in place. You can take them into an eyewear shop where they may charge you a fee for repairs.
Wear a spare pair of glasses
If your glasses break and you can’t see clearly without them you can throw on an extra pair that you have lying around the house. Some people will have a second pair or a pair for specific uses like computer glasses. Otherwise you might have an older pair around that you can use in a pinch. If you have any prescription goggles, prescription sunglasses or safety glasses around you can wear those too. It might be a little bit weird but it will get you by until you get to a store.
You can order a cheap pair of glasses online to keep around the house as a spare, go to a discount retailer or take advantage of a two for one sale.
Put in your contacts
If you have contacts around you can wear those instead. Some people have them for sports and other part-time uses. If you’re like that then you can go grab them and pop them in. If you’re a full time contact wearer then you probably have them nearby and they quickly jumped to mind.
Tape them back together
In a pinch you can try to tape your frames back together. This is what Harry Potter frequently did. If you’re planning to take them in for more serious repairs this will enable you to see well enough to get to your eye wear shop. If you use masking tape or scotch tape it is easy to take off and should leave minimal residue.
Glue them back together
The results of your glue job will vary depending in part on your DIY skills, the glue used and the nature of the damage. If it’s a cracked frame then you can glue it back together and hope it holds. Many people swear by the magical powers of super glue.
It’s always unfortunate when your glasses break but a few DIY repairs and having a backup around will get you through it.