Men's LifeStyle Blog

Sunglass lenses are so fragile that they’re always just one clumsy moment away from irreversible damage — an unsightly scratch down the middle of your lens is infuriating to say the least.

Not only does it look naff, but optically, having a divot running down your field of vision is really annoying. If you are reconsidering sunglasses, contact lenses are always an option. However, it may not be for everyone.

Even more annoying, if you’ve ever treated yourself to a designer pair of sunglasses, is the cost of getting new ones. These scratches and chips can dent a big hole in your bank balance.

But rather than splashing out on a new pair of designer sunglasses every time, they’re actually really easy to fix.

We’ve tracked down the best DIY fixes to bring your designer sunglasses back to life.

A Bent Frame

Have you ever crushed your sunglasses at the bottom of your bag? Worse still, have you ever accidentally sat on them?

This will, more often than not, lead to a bent frame that sits slightly askew on your nose. Which not only looks dodgy, but also means they’re more likely to slip off your head.

Luckily, whether they’re plastic or metal frames there’s an easy way to remold them back to their original shape.

Just Heat & Bend

The plastic that the vast majority of sunglasses are made out of has a relatively low melting point. This means that if you apply a little bit of heat, you can gently mold the material back into the desired shape.

We’ve tried this and the best way to do it is to place them in hot (not boiling) water for a few minutes and then carefully apply pressure until they’re straight again.

Remember to take it very slow, and repeat the warming process multiple times rather than forcing it the first time.

This two minute clip will show you how you can do it.

Metal Frames  

With metal frames, using your hands can be cumbersome.

Instead, take a pair of plastic-tipped pliers and make micro-adjustments to the bent frames until they’re perfect again.

Scratched Lenses:

The most delicate part of the sunglasses, the lenses, are the most prone to damage. But they’re also the easiest to replace.

We found various “hacks” online to remove the scratches from your lenses. The most common tip is to use toothpaste or baking soda to buff away the scratches. But we are skeptical to say the least and wouldn’t recommend using toothpaste on your beautiful Prada lenses.

Why not?

Well, as much as the internet might want us to believe, toothpaste and baking soda don’t fix everything!

Think about it. A scratch is just a divot on the surface of the lens. By buffing the lens with toothpaste (or baking soda) you are grinding the lens down so that the rest of the lens is at the same level as the divot.

This will, without doubt, destroy the lens, so please don’t try it.

Lens Replacement:

But there’s another way. Just get them replaced.

The Sunglass Fix stock thousands of replacement lenses. All you need to do is find your lenses on their website by typing in the brand name or model, select the size of the lenses that you need and they’ll send you a brand new pair of replacement lenses.

This is by far the cheapest way to get luxury sunglasses back to their former glory, and it’s really easy.

They have a step-by-step guide that takes you through the process of removing your old lenses from your plastic or metal frame, and a dedicated team of specialists who are on-hand if you have any issues.

Talking about designer sunnies, just have a look at how many Prada lenses they have, almost three-hundred different models.

If you are not sure about your lens size, you can find the eye, bridge and temple size of your sunglasses stamped next to a little square box icon on the inside of your frames.

Hinge Adjustments:

After some time, the hinges and screws on your sunglass frames wear down and get stiff.

You can adjust your hinges very easily. Just grab a small screwdriver and get twisting: remember: “righty-tighty, lefty-loosey”.

Once both arms are adjusted you can add a little protection to the hinges by applying a thin coating of clear nail polish.

Nose Pads:

Take a look to see which ones you have (or don’t have). Usually nose pads simply screw in, so you can just order replacement ones and screw them in yourself. Here’s a step-by-step guide if you run into any issues.

We hope that these tips will help you extend the life of your designer sunglasses. With a little bit of research, some effort, and a can-do attitude, you can save yourself loads of money and keep your favourite pair of sunnies for more than one summer.