Why the ear takes the load
A pair of glasses rests on the nose and the two ears, and in a well fitted frame the nose carries most of the weight. When it cannot, because the bridge is wrong for the face, the weight moves back to the ears, which is why most ear pain is a nose problem in disguise. The how should glasses fit guide covers the three point fit; the rest of this piece works through the six ways it goes wrong.
Cause one: the temple bend is too tight
The temple tip, the part that curves down behind the ear, should follow the ear without gripping it. If the curve starts too early or bends too sharply, it presses on the back of the ear or the bone behind it. How to tell: a red line or a dent behind the ear where the tip sat. The fix: ease the bend so the curve starts further back. On acetate, warm the tip in warm water for a minute until it gives, open the curve a little with your thumbs and hold it while it cools; never force cold acetate. On a flexible frame, nylon or Ultem or a similar light material, bend the tip cold and gently. On titanium or beta-titanium, leave it to a shop. The how to adjust glasses arms guide walks through each material.
Cause two: the frame is too narrow for the head
If the front is narrower than the face, the temples splay outward at the hinge and press inward along their whole length, so the pain sits on the sides of the head rather than at one spot. How to tell: look at the frame from above with it on; the temples should run straight back. If they bow outward from the hinge, the frame is too narrow. The fix: a shop can open the temples at the hinge a little on a metal frame, but a frame that is clearly too narrow is the wrong frame. The glasses for wide faces guide covers how to choose one that fits, and the glasses measurements guide explains how to read the size printed inside the arm when you shop.
Cause three: the frame is too heavy
A thick acetate frame with heavy lenses weighs more than the nose can hold, so the ears take the rest, and the pain is a dull ache that builds through the day. How to tell: lift the frame a fraction at the bridge; if the relief is immediate, weight is the problem. The fix: move the weight forward with a better bridge fit (cause five), or change to a lighter frame; Ultem, nylon and the ultra-light materials weigh a fraction of thick acetate, and titanium less than steel. The lightweight glasses guide ranks the MUJOSH frames by material, the ultem glasses guide covers the lightest of them, and the titanium glasses guide the metal.
Cause four: the temples are uneven
If one temple is bent differently from the other, one ear takes more load, and the pain is on one side only, usually with the frame sitting crooked. How to tell: set the glasses upside down on a flat table; if one temple tip lifts, the temples are uneven. The fix: adjust the high side to match the low side with the method from cause one. A loose hinge screw on one side gives the same symptom and takes a small screwdriver; the how to tighten glasses guide covers that.
Cause five: the nose is not carrying its share
This is the hidden one. When the bridge of the frame does not rest on the bridge of the nose, because the nose bridge is lower than the frame assumes, the frame slides forward and the only thing stopping it is the grip of the temple tips behind the ears. People with a lower nose bridge live with this on most frames: the glasses sit on the cheeks, slide when they look down and ache behind the ears by evening, three symptoms with one cause. How to tell: if the frame slides as well as hurting, the nose is the problem. The fix: a frame whose bridge is cut to sit lower and closer to the face, which is what a low bridge fit is; many of our frames are cut that way and the low bridge fit eyeglasses collection gathers them. On a metal frame, adjustable nose pads do the same job; the adjustable nose pad glasses collection has those and the nose pads for glasses guide covers setting them. The glasses keep sliding down nose guide is the full diagnosis, and the glasses touching cheeks guide the cheek contact that comes with it.
Cause six: the glasses are new
New glasses are allowed to feel present for a few days, because the frame sits in a different place from the old one. They are not allowed to hurt. Awareness fades by the end of the first week; pain gets worse through each day. If there is a sore spot at any point, one of the five causes above is at work and the frame needs adjusting, not time.
What you can do at home and what belongs in a shop
At home: the temple bend on acetate with warm water or on a flexible frame cold, a hinge screw, adjustable nose pads, and soft temple sleeves while you sort out the real cause. In a shop: titanium, beta-titanium and memory metal, rimless frames, widening a frame at the hinge, and any adjustment you have tried once without result. Any optician will adjust a frame they did not sell, usually free or for a small charge. MUJOSH does not adjust frames by post, but every frame ships with a 30 day return window and a one year warranty, so a frame that is the wrong size goes back. If the skin behind the ear is broken or swollen, or the pain stays when the glasses come off, that is a matter for a professional, not a frame adjustment.
MUJOSH frames built so it does not start
The frames below put the weight on the nose, keep the temples light, or flex with the head instead of gripping it; the optical frames are ready for your own lenses.
Alio XZ, $99. A crown panto in an ultra-light material with spring hinges and a low bridge fit: the spring lets the temple open past the hinge and come back, so the frame holds without pinching, and the bridge carries the weight. Alio XZ
Ultem, $99. A geometric frame in lightweight Ultem with a mortise and tenon hinge, the lightest frame in the range, which leaves the ears almost nothing to carry. Ultem
Beta Pitot, $135. A square-round with beta-titanium temples and a low bridge fit; beta-titanium flexes and returns, the material to choose if a rigid temple has hurt you before. Adjustments on it belong in a shop. Beta Pitot
Halo, $119. A lightweight acetate frame in a rounded retro shape with adjustable nose pads, the one acetate frame in the range where the pads move the weight forward. Halo
On the sunglass side, Turbo M0 ($99) and Velo M0 ($135) have spring hinges that adapt to head width, and Species BL ($135) and Futuristic ($159) carry spring hinges too. Turbo M0, Velo M0, Species BL, Futuristic. The spring hinge glasses guide explains why the hinge matters, the sunglasses for big heads guide covers the wide fit, and the full ranges are in the eyeglasses collection and the sunglasses collection.
The bottom line
Glasses hurt behind the ears when the ears carry weight the nose should: a tight temple bend, a frame too narrow for the head, a frame too heavy, uneven temples, a bridge that does not sit on the nose, or simply new glasses that need adjusting rather than time. Check the bend, the width and the bridge in that order, fix acetate warm and flexible frames cold, send titanium to a shop, and if the frame also slides, fix the nose first. In the MUJOSH range, Alio XZ, Ultem, Beta Pitot and Halo are built to keep the load off the ears, from $99.
Frequently asked questions
Why do my glasses hurt behind my ears?
Because the ears are carrying weight the nose should: the temple tip is bent too tight, the frame is too narrow or too heavy, one temple is uneven, or the bridge does not sit on your nose so the temples have to grip to stop the frame sliding. Each has its own fix.
How do I stop my glasses hurting behind my ears?
Check the temple bend, the width and the bridge in that order. Ease a tight bend (acetate warm, flexible frames cold, titanium in a shop), replace a frame that is too narrow, and if the frame also slides, fix the bridge with a low bridge fit frame or adjustable nose pads.
Should new glasses hurt behind the ears?
No. New glasses can feel present for a few days, and that fades. Pain that builds through the day or a sore spot at any point means the fit is wrong and the frame needs adjusting, not time.
Which MUJOSH glasses are comfortable behind the ears?
Alio XZ ($99, spring hinges, ultra-light, low bridge fit), Ultem ($99, the lightest frame in the range), Beta Pitot ($135, beta-titanium temples that flex) and Halo ($119, adjustable nose pads); on the sunglass side Turbo M0, Velo M0, Species BL and Futuristic, all with spring hinges.
