Glasses touching your cheeks? What causes it and what helps

Glasses should rest on your nose and ears, with some space between the bottom of the frame and your cheeks. If the rims rest on your cheeks, leave marks, or push the frame up off your nose when you smile, the frame is sitting too low or is too deep for your face. A different bridge fit often helps more than a different style.

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Common causes

A bridge that does not fit your nose. If the bridge has little to rest on, as with a lower or flatter nose bridge, the frame drops until the rims meet your cheeks.
Tall lenses or a large frame. The deeper the lens, the closer its bottom edge comes to your cheekbones.
A frame that is too wide. It slides down your nose and ends up lower than it should sit.
Arms that pinch behind the ears. Tight arms can tip the front of the frame down toward your cheeks.

What to look for in the next pair

Low-bridge fit. Some stores make versions with a different bridge and nose rests that hold the frame higher. Names vary: “low bridge fit”, “Asian fit” or “alternative fit”.
Adjustable nose pads. Pads on small metal arms let an optician raise the frame or change its angle.
A shorter lens height. Many stores list lens height in millimeters; a smaller number leaves more room above your cheeks. In our catalog, lens heights run from 30 to 57 mm, with 43 mm in the middle.
The right width. A frame that fits your width is less likely to slide. See how to measure frame width.

What the FitMyFace finder does

A selfie cannot measure the height of your nose bridge, so the finder asks instead. After the scan, tick “Glasses slide down my nose / sit on my cheeks (low-bridge fit)”. Frames with a low-bridge fit or adjustable nose pads then move up the list, and when enough of them fit your width, frames likely to slide drop out.

Of the 113 eyeglass frames in our catalog, 40 have a low-bridge fit and 46 have adjustable nose pads. 61 have at least one of the two, from 7 of our 9 stores.

For the glasses you already own

An optician can often adjust the nose pads or the arms so the frame sits higher. Do not bend pads or arms yourself: they can break. Our nose-pad guide explains what an adjustment can change.

A virtual try-on is approximate: it cannot show where a frame will touch your cheeks when you smile. Try the frame on, or check the store's return terms before you buy, and let an optician confirm the final fit.

Questions

Should glasses touch your cheeks?

Generally no: the frame should rest on your nose and ears. If the rims meet your cheeks whenever you smile, they lift the frame off your nose.

Is low-bridge fit only for Asian faces?

No. “Asian fit” is a common name, but the design is meant for anyone with a lower or flatter nose bridge or higher cheekbones.

Will my photo leave my phone?

The glasses scan runs on your device. The optional AI hairstyle preview is separate. For the optional AI previews, your consent is the one "I agree" on the scan screen, which says your photo is sent to Cloudflare for them, and a switch on the results turns them off. FitMyFace is for adults 18 and over and is not available in Illinois.

Compare low-bridge and nose-pad frames from 7 stores

Glasses slide down your nose too? Read the low-bridge fit guide.