F.D.A. Approved Stellest lenses for Myopia Control: Now available at Richmond Eye Experts
Good news for parents: the FDA has just approved the first eyeglass lenses designed to slow down the progression of myopia (“nearsightedness”) in children. These are not just regular glasses — they have special features that can help protect your child’s vision as their eyes grow.
They work for children ages 6 to 12 years (including kids who are just starting treatment).
They look like normal glasses, but they have a special design: a clear center zone and tiny raised dots (“lenslets”) around the edge. These dots subtly redirect light in the periphery of vision in a way that helps slow down the eye’s growth. That’s important because longer eyeballs are what cause worsening nearsightedness.
What the Research Shows
In a clinical study over 2 years, children wearing the Stellest lenses had 71% less myopia progression (by prescription change) compared to kids wearing regular single-vision lenses.
Also, the elongation (growth) of the eye was reduced by 53% compared to the regular lenses. Since eye lengthening is what leads to more severe myopia and higher risk of eye diseases later, slowing that growth is a big deal.
There were no serious safety issues in that study. Some children reported visual effects like slight blur or halos, especially at first. That’s normal and usually improves.
Myopia often gets worse during childhood and before the eyes finish growing. The worse it gets, the higher the risk later in life of things like retinal problems, glaucoma, cataracts, or other eye health issues.
These new lenses give an option for children who may not be good candidates for contact-lenses, or are too young for certain contact-based treatments.
They offer a non-invasive, relatively simple way to slow myopia, potentially reducing how strong their prescription has to get over time.
Next Staps
Schedule a baseline eye exam if your child hasn’t had one recently. We can measure their current prescription and eye length (axial length) so we can monitor progression over time.
