Spectacle Lenses for Myopia: Our Complete Guide
Myopia lenses are specially designed spectacle lenses that have a combined action of correcting blurred distance vision and slowing eye growth that causes increasing myopia in children and teenagers.
Lenses are a key component of spectacles, and only special designs of spectacle lenses help reduce or slow the progression of myopia in children and teenagers. Single-vision spectacles, whilst inexpensive and convenient, do not help slow the progression of myopia.
For Eyes Optometrist, an Australian-owned independent optometrist in Fremantle can select and advise on the most effective myopia control spectacle lenses based on clinical evidence.
Spectacle Lenses for Myopia Control
New spectacle lens designs are available for myopia control. These designs incorporate either 'lenslet' or 'diffusion' technology.
MiYOSMART Lenses
The Hoya lens manufacturing company uses spectacle lens technology that adopts Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS). The myopia control name for the Hoya spectacle lens is MiYOSMART, where lens lets are incorporated into the lens in a honeycomb array based around a clear central zone. The clear central zone and spaces between the lenslets provide clear, sharp distance vision.
Essilor Stellest Lenses
The Essilor lens manufacturing company use spectacle lens technology that uses Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target (or H.A.L.T.) Technology. The myopia control brand name for the spectacle lens is Essilor Stellest. Essilor Stellest lenses feature a series of concentric rings of HALT lenslets based around a clear central zone, with spaces between each ring, for clear, sharp distance vision.
Other Lenses for Myopia Control
Other myopia control lens designs use Diffusion Optics Technology (or D.O.T.). These spectacle lenses incorporate microscopic diffusers around a smaller, clear central zone. The D.O.T. design creates a diffusion, or blur of light, around the edges of the lens with clear central vision.
These lens designs create a "slow-down" signal for eye growth to control myopia in the peripheral retina. The clear central zones and spaces between lenslets provide for clear distance vision.
The Hoya MiYOSMART lens and Essilor Stellest lens are explicitly designed for myopia progression and have been shown to offer high efficacy for myopia control. They rank alongside other successful treatments, such as Ortho-k, low dose Atropine and contact lenses such as Cooper Vision MiSight and NaturalVue.
MiSight Contact Lenses
MiSight daily contact lenses by CooperVision correct vision and slow myopia progression. Comfortable, disposable, and clinically safe and proven for long-term myopia control in children.
NaturalVue Contact Lenses
NaturalVue daily contact lenses by VTI use Neurofocus Optics® to correct vision and slow myopia progression. High peripheral plus power provides effective, non-invasive myopia control.
MiyoSmart Sun Lenses
MiYOSMART Sun lenses by HOYA combine D.I.M.S. Technology with sun protection, reducing glare and UV exposure while slowing myopia progression for clear, comfortable outdoor vision.
This is an ideal lens choice for those children also on combination therapies such as myopia control spectacle lenses and low dose Atropine.
We Can Help You Get Lenses from Leading Brands
As an independent practice, we have access to all the leading brands and can choose which one would be better for your child after weighing their prescription, eye-growth rate, and everyday needs and activities.
How Myopia Lenses Work
Myopia control spectacle lenses do two jobs at once: they provide clear distance vision and send signals that tell the eye to slow its growth. They incorporate standard vision correction and build in myopia control technology.
1. Standard vision correction
A basic single-vision lens is concave (thinner in the centre, thicker at the edge). It bends incoming light so it lands neatly on the retina instead of in front of it, clearing up blurred distance vision.
2. Built-in myopia control technology
Modern myopia lenses use smart optics that guide the eye to grow more slowly. They work in three clinically proven ways:
Peripheral myopic defocus – keeps central vision clear while shifting peripheral light to focus just in front of the retina to provide a signal to the eye to slow down.
Lenslet / multifocal ring designs – tiny lenslets arranged in concentric rings (e.g. DIMS in Hoya MiYOSMART; HALT in Essilor Stellest) surround a clear central zone, creating a gentle “zone” of myopic defocus.
| Optical strategy | What it does | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Peripheral myopic defocus | Keeps the central image sharp and places the peripheral image just in front of the retina | The slight blur at the edge acts like a brake, telling the eye it has grown far enough |
| Lenslet / multifocal rings (e.g. DIMS, HALT) | Small aspherical lenslets form concentric rings that create a “volume of myopic defocus” around a clear centre | Maintains clear vision while delivering a constant slow-down signal to reduce myopia progression |
3. Contact Lens Alternatives
Orthokeratology (Ortho-K): Special rigid lenses worn overnight to gently flatten the cornea slightly. By morning the wearer enjoys clear vision and built-in peripheral defocus all day, with no lens on the eye.
Dual-focus and multifocal soft lenses (e.g. MiSight): A clear central zone corrects vision, while surrounding rings add peripheral myopic defocus to slow progression.
Together, these options allow optometrists to match treatment to each child’s needs and lifestyle—whether they prefer everyday glasses, overnight lenses, or daytime contacts.
Other Types of Spectacle Lenses
Single vision
Bifocal lenses
Multifocal lenses
1. Single Vision Lenses
This is the most prescribed type of spectacle lens. Single-vision lenses can correct both myopia (shortsightedness) and also hyperopia (longsightedness) and (astigmatism). They do not, however, have any myopia control element. That is, they will not have any beneficial impact on the rate of growth (or elongation) of the retina over time. Single vision lenses will correct the current myopia but will not be sending signals that tell the eye to slow its growth. That is, without a myopia management strategy (through the use of treatments such as spectacle lenses, contact lenses and low dose Atropine) there is the risk that the myopia prescription will increase significantly over time. The same applies to single vision contact lenses.
Single vision lenses are a fixed focus and single power. A single-focus lens is limiting for older people lacking near-focusing power (presbyopia), where a different lens power is required for near vision.
2. Bifocal Lenses
Bifocals are a spectacle lens with a distance focus at the top and a fixed near focus at the bottom of the lens. It is like having two separate lenses in one. There will be a visible line in the lower portion of the lenses outlining the near portion of the lens.
Children and teenagers sometimes need to wear multifocal or bifocal lenses to help correct eye focusing or coordination problems, which are also known as eye-teaming difficulties.
3. Multifocal Lenses
Provide a range of focusing power across the spectacle lens. Multifocal (or progressive addition lenses P.A.L.) are designed for clear distance vision when looking straight ahead through the distance optical centre of the lens and clear near vision when looking through the lower part of the lens. The lenses are multifocal with a gradual increase in power from the distance to the near optical centres. Multifocal lenses provide clear vision at a range of distances from far to near.
Benefits of Myopia Lenses for Myopia Management
1. Clear, comfortable vision today
Myopia lenses provide the sharp focus children need for schoolwork, sport, and screen time, reducing eye strain and squinting during everyday tasks.
2. Clinically proven to slow myopia progression
Designs such as DIMS and HALT have been shown in peer-reviewed studies to cut the rate of eye growth by up to 60 per cent, helping to keep prescriptions lower for longer and protecting long-term eye health.
3. Lower risk of future eye disease
By limiting the degree of myopia reached in the teen years, these lenses reduce the lifetime risk of sight-threatening conditions linked to high myopia, including retinal detachment, glaucoma, and myopic maculopathy.
4. Child-friendly, everyday wear
The lenses look like standard glasses and so children adapt quickly and feel confident wearing them at school or play. Durable coatings resist scratches and smudges, allowing for clear vision, easy maintenance and reduced reflections.
5. Fits seamlessly into existing eye examination schedules
Myopia control lenses, when required, do not add any unnecessary complexity to your regular eye examination schedule. The difference is that the effectiveness of any myopia control treatment protocol should be measured over time. This will include monitoring the axial length change of the retina to ensure that growth is being slowed.
6. Cost-effective over time
Slowing myopia progression will have significant cost benefits over time. Less prescription changes means fewer updates to lenses and frames. Furthermore, the lower the prescription, the more options in terms of frames and spectacle lenses and in general, the lower the cost.
In addition, the risk of potentially sight threatening eye conditions is reduced. Maintaining your vision is important and a worthwhile investment.
If you would like to discuss whether myopia control lenses are suitable for your child, our optometrists are ready to guide you through the options at your next visit.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are MiyoSmart and Stellest lenses compatible with any frame?
The size and position of myopia management lenses are key factors in their performance. These lenses are designed with a central clear zone surrounded by a concentric peripheral defocus zone. To ensure their effectiveness, it's essential that the pupil is centrally located in a frame with at least 12 millimetres between the top of the frame and the centre of the pupil. This, along with a vertex distance of 10 millimetres or less and a pantoscopic angle close to zero, plays a significant role in the lenses' performance.
The frame must also fit nicely on a child's face. For example, the fit of the nose bridge and correct temple length ensure the frame is comfortable and does not slip down the child's nose.
At For Eyes Optometrist, we can advise on fit and measure the location of the eye pupil to ensure that the myopia lenses will be effective.
Can myopia lenses be combined with other myopia management strategies?
The potential of combined treatments is attractive and promising, especially when a child is young, at the age of onset, and where myopia is progressing rapidly.
There is good supporting evidence for the effectiveness of combining low-dose atropine with orthokeratology. Currently, clinical trials are lacking to demonstrate the effect of combining myopia-control spectacle lenses with low-dose atropine. However, promising results are starting to be reported in practice (Nucci et al., Combining Spectacle Lenses with Atropine 0.01% in European Children).
Whatever approach is chosen to manage a child's myopia, the options are discussed with parents. This inclusive approach ensures that each case's management plan is customised, making parents and their children feel involved and informed.
Are there any side effects or discomforts associated with wearing myopia controlled lenses?
As with any spectacle lens, there is a period of adaption. However, the majority of children adapt very quickly (within a week or two) to wearing these lenses and do not experience any discomfort.
If anything, the disadvantage relates to the limitation of wearing spectacles for a sporting or active lifestyle. In these cases, there are other alternatives such as contact lenses or Orthokeratology.
