Getting used to your new glasses

For most people, it can take few days to get completely used to a new prescription, but this can vary depending on whether you’re brand new to glasses or how much your prescription has changed for existing glasses‑wearers. 

The good news is  there are several tried and tested tips that can help you get adjusted: 

• Put your glasses on when you start your day – a sudden change later in the day can feel more disorientating. It also helps to start forming habits 

• If you wear multifocals or bifocals, try turning your head rather than just your eyes 

• The longer you wear your glasses, the quicker your eye muscles can adjust.   

Try to wear your new glasses all the time without going back to your old pair. Wear them as you have been advised and allow a few days for your eyes to adapt.  

If your vision feels a little strange at first, try wearing them in the morning rather than swapping from your old to new glasses during the day. It’s best to try and wear your new glasses as your optometrist has advised and avoid going back to your old glasses. 

It might take a bit longer to adjust to new glasses when the astigmatism element of your lenses has changed. This will depend on what has changed in your prescription, but in general, the larger the change, the longer it may take to get used to. This can take a few days or a couple of weeks if you’re brand new to glasses. If both the strength of your prescription and the astigmatism changes, this may give you more symptoms when you first put on new specs. 

Typical symptoms with new astigmatism glasses include: 

• Feeling like your vision is sloping or distorted 

• Feeling like your vision is ‘swimmy’ when you move your head around 

Your store team will advise you on how to adjust to new glasses, but here are some general tips that can help: 

• Start by putting on your glasses as soon as you start your day. This will help you to form a habit of wearing them early on. If you put them on later on in the day you may find the sudden change more disorientating. 

• Wear glasses indoors to start with. Walking around the house is a great way to familiarise your eyes to new glasses, and eye movement actually helps you to adjust to a new prescription quicker than sitting still. However, if you find this too disorientating, sitting down and doing something like watching TV can be helpful. 

• Try not to revert back to old glasses. 

Remember our team in store are always here to help, so pop by if you have any queries.  

We’d recommend using our cloth and cleaning spray to clean your glasses. If they're particularly dirty, pop into any Specsavers store and the team can give them a clean for you.

You can store your glasses in the case we gave you when you collected them. If you need a new case, pop into your local Specsavers and the team can help you out.  

If you have any problems with your specs, you can always bring them into your local store where we can adjust them or tighten the screws if required. 

All of our lenses come with a scratch‑resistant treatment as standard. Otherwise, make sure you keep your glasses in their case, when they’re not on your face, put them in your case.

No – glasses should make your eyes feel more relaxed and comfortable once you’re used to wearing them, as well as improving the overall clarity of vision. 

Sometimes people say they feel their eyesight has deteriorated when they take their glasses off. This can be because while wearing glasses the eyes and brain adjust to sharp vision. When glasses are removed the brain then realises what you’re missing and perceives blur. Wearing glasses more frequently could help to alleviate this problem. 

The fit and feel of new frames can makes all the difference in terms of comfort. Our team in store take detailed measurements of your face and head to make sure your glasses feel as comfortable as possible – but sometimes it can still feel uncomfortable while you’re getting used to them.  

Often, just the sensation of having something on your face can feel odd to start with. The new feeling of pressure on your ears and nose might be all it is – but if it’s ever bothering you, come back and see us. We might be able to make some adjustments to your frames to make you feel more comfortable.  

If you’re using your glasses for something they’re not intended for you may find it harder to see. For example, if you use your reading glasses to watch the TV or use the computer. If you’re unsure on the best way to use or glasses, please speak to one of our team members in‑store who can help you out.  

Your eyes generally need to work harder when using screens. Spending lots of time on our smartphones, laptops or tablets mean our eyes need to work hard to take in the moving images, glare and flickering from screens.

Particularly if you work at a computer all day, computer eye strain is very common and can lead to headaches.

Digital eye strain is also a common symptom when you get new glasses. This is because the distance we view digital screens is often in‑between our vision zones – in short, it’s just a different type of thing that our eyes need to adjust to.