If you’ve been wearing your glasses long enough, you’d have noticed familiar discomfort for all eyeglass users—nose pad marks.

Annoying Glasses Marks

When you get yourself a new pair of eyeglasses, there’s this rush of euphoria that comes because you have the glasses you always wanted. However, a couple of weeks down the line and you notice the splotchy indents on your nose.

This doesn’t always have to be the case, and you can actually wear your glasses without having those marks on your nose. So, in this article, we’ll discuss how to stop glasses from leaving marks on your nose. We’ll also discuss how to fix the marks if you already have them. Enjoy! 

Why do glasses always leave marks on my nose?

This may sound hard to believe, but the way glasses are designed is such that you can wear them without leaving those marks on your nose. The nose pads on eyeglasses ensure the glasses fit snugly, but comfortably. The result is you won’t have to keep pushing your glasses up your nose as they keep sliding down, but the pads also ensure the eyeglasses aren’t leaving any form of indentations on your nose.

While the indents on your skin may only seem like a minor discomfort initially, if you leave the situation unattended, it can cause prolonged pain like headaches. Basically, those marks point out that your glasses are probably not the right fit. Let’s discuss the reasons your eyewear is leaving marks on your face.

• The eyeglasses aren’t the correct fit: There's a three-point fit used to measure how an eyewear fits a wearer. Your eyewear should only contact the skin on your nose’s bridge and above each ear. If your glasses touch your temple, it’s probably a sign that it’s not the right fit for you, and it’ll likely leave marks on your skin.
• The eyeglasses are not level: Your optometrist must ensure that there’s an even distribution of weight on the glasses and frame. This should be done while fitting your frame. If the weight is not dispersed throughout the eyewear, it can cause the eyewear to sit on your face unevenly. This can also cause discomfort. 
• The eyewear frames are bulky: Some frames may be too bulky for your face. This depends on how sensitive your skin is though, and also the shape of your face. But generally, heavier, bulkier frames apply more pressure on the areas where they touch, like your nose bridge. The result is the appearance of those uncomfortable marks.

How long will the glasses marks stay on the nose?

It depends on how long you've had the marks on your nose. Generally, marks from your eyeglasses’ nose pads go away completely after a short while. However, if you don’t adjust your nose pads, or other parts of your eyewear to have a better fit, the marks they create can last longer. So, the marks can stay anywhere from a couple of hours to a few months.

How to reduce the appearance of nose marks (short term)

Now, let’s discuss quick fixes on how to stop glasses from leaving marks on nose. Note that these solutions are short-term fixes. 

Massaging Your Nose

The first solution on our list is for you to massage your nose. Regularly take your eyeglasses off, and massage the irritated areas. This may help ease the discomfort. You can also apply a gentle moisturizer on the area while massaging. You should use a dermatologist-approved, unscented moisturizer because the skin around the eyes is quite sensitive. Keeping the areas of your skin that contact the glasses moisturized and healthy can reduce the discomfort significantly.

Wearing Preventative Measures

If you use a plastic frame, you’ll realize that readjusting the fit is almost impossible. However, there are several accessories that you can use to make your eyewear have a more snug fit. We list some of them below;

• Silicone eyeglass pads you can attach to your glasses
• Slip grip ear adjusters
• Adjustable strap
• Eyeglass arm cover

These are all cheap, fantastic fixes, in case you don’t wish to buy a new pair of eyeglasses. However, the nose pads from the eyeglasses will leave marks on your nose bridge.

How to reduce the appearance of nose marks (long term)

If you want a permanent solution, your best option is to visit your optometrist, so you can figure out the cause of your discomfort. In the end, you may need to adjust your frames or ditch the old glasses entirely. Naturally, your body undergoes gradual changes as you age, so an eyewear that was your perfect fit three years ago may no longer be a perfect fit now. So, here are how to stop glasses from leaving marks on nose permanently.

Adjusting the Pads

Sometimes, the nose pads that come with your eyeglasses’ frames may fit too tightly on your nose bridge. This may be the reason they leave marks on your nose. You can ask your optician to replace them with another set of comfortable pads. You can go for wider pads, as they’ll disperse the frames’ weight on your nose. Also, pads made with silicone, or other softer materials can reduce the chances of discomfort.

Adjusting the Frames

Another reason eyeglasses leave marks on the nose is if the fit is wrong. If the frame is too tight, it’ll leave marks on your nose, and your temples. So, you have to adjust the area where the frame feels uncomfortably tight. If it’s on the nose, adjust the width of the nose bridge. If it’s the temple, adjust the arms. This will reduce the pressure the eyewear places on your skin. We do not recommend you implement these changes yourself. It’s better to consult your optician, who is a professional and will have the necessary instruments for the job, otherwise, you risk damaging your eyeglasses.

Take your glasses off regularly

When an optometrist prescribes a pair of eyeglasses for you, you’ll likely have to wear them often. The exceptions are usually when you sleep or take your bath. However, you should also take them off intermittently for a few minutes, especially when you take breaks from your daily activities. When you do this regularly, the marks on your skin will disappear over time.

Replacing the Frames

This is a last resort when other remedies fail. This happens when it’s certain that no amount of adjustment can make the frame more comfortable to wear. When getting a new pair of glasses, note that heavier sets tend to leave marks on the skin. So, we advise you to go for rimless or thin-framed eyeglasses. They exert less pressure on your nose, thanks to their sleek design. If you prefer thicker frames, opt for those with solid frames, as their weight will be dispersed across the frame, rather than being concentrated on a spot.

Tips for reducing nose marks

If you’re interested in how to stop glasses from leaving marks on nose, you will need to know how to reduce the marks as well.

1. Keeping Your Face Clean

Hygiene is a really important factor in keeping these marks on your nose at a minimum. Makeup, oil, and dust can accumulate on your eyeglasses’ nose pads. These can lead to irritation on your skin. It becomes even worse when your skin is exposed to these irritants for a prolonged period, as they make the areas of your skin in contact with the glasses become very uncomfortable. Washing your face regularly ensures these irritants do not build up.

2. Switching Glasses

Another tip is to rotate between pairs of glasses if you have more than one. Granted, not everyone has more than a pair of prescribed glasses, but if you do, it would help if you switch them often. When you switch glasses, you ensure no particular glasses’ nose pads sit on your nose long enough and consistently enough to leave an imprint. If you don’t have an extra pair of eyeglasses, removing your glasses intermittently, especially in high humidity or while sweating can help avert the formation of nose marks.

3. Use Moisturizer

Yep! May sound ridiculous, but your nose needs care too. Sometimes the irritation you feel may result from your nose being too dry. A moisturizer will go a long way to relieve such.

How should you choose glasses that fit your face?

1. Getting the frame width right

The most important measurement to consider when getting a new pair of eyeglasses is the frame width. If you choose a frame width that’s too wide, and your face appears too thin. The glasses will also likely slide down your face often. If you choose a frame that’s too narrow, your face appears too wide, and the frame fits too tight. One trick to apply when choosing a new set of glasses is to opt for a frame with about a finger’s width between your face and its arm. Also, your eyes should be centered within each lens’s width.

2. Understanding temple length

Another measurement to consider is your temple length. If you choose glasses with ill-fitting arms for your temples, you get eyewear that’s either too tight or too loose. Your glasses’ arm should sit on top of your ear comfortably, and should also fit snugly along your temples.

3. Getting the best lens height & lens width

With lenses, the primary focus is usually their functionality. However, that also doesn’t mean you can’t pay attention to aesthetics. You can enhance and highlight your eyes with the right lens width and height.

4. Finding the ideal bridge width

This is obviously important because your eyeglasses will sit on your nose bridge. So, you need to ensure your eyeglasses have a bridge width that’s perfect for your nose. Any time you’re thinking of how to stop glasses from leaving marks on your nose, this factor should be a priority. You should, however, consider your facial structure as an important factor in this discussion too. Facial structure also determines how your eyeglasses will sit on your nose bridge. For example, Asians generally have lower nose bridges. Also, if your eyes are set closer to each other, your nose bridge will be narrower.

Conclusion

It can be a slight headache when you rely on your glasses often, but they leave irritating indents on your skin. Now, you know there are ways to mitigate them, so you don’t have to just resign to fate. By adhering to the tips in this article, you can find a lasting remedy for your nose marks, and even learn how to prevent them. So, enjoy your beautiful eyeglasses, and don’t let nose marks ruin your joy.