What Is Myopia Control?

Our job is to protect your child's vision from getting worse as they grow, using the most appropriate treatment.

Myopia (nearsightedness) happens when a child's eye grows too fast and too long. Regular glasses and contact lenses make vision clear again, but they do nothing to slow that growth, so a child's prescription usually keeps climbing year after year. Myopia control is different. It uses specially designed lenses, eye drops, and healthy habits to slow how fast the eye grows during childhood. The goal is not only clear vision today, but a lower prescription and a healthier eye for life. Learn how myopia happens.

Correcting vs. controlling

Correcting myopia means helping your child see clearly right now, which is what ordinary single vision glasses do. Controlling myopia means slowing the eye's growth so the nearsightedness does not get as bad. Most myopia control treatments do both at once: your child sees clearly while the treatment works in the background.

Why start early

Myopia can develop as young as age 3, and the younger your child, the faster their myopia gets worse. Treating as early as possible will reduce the risk of eye health issues in their lifetime, such as retinal detachment, myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma, and early cataracts.

Myopia can affect more than your eyes

Myopia can affect your child's ability to perform well in school, sports, performing arts, and other activities that require clear vision. Controlling myopia progression will free them up to be at their best.

Treatments that slow myopia

The options below fall into three groups: special contact lenses, special glasses, and eye drops. Your eye doctor will recommend the right fit based on your child's age, prescription, lifestyle, and how quickly their myopia is changing.

Children running after a soccer ball in a sunny park

Daily soft contact lens · FDA approved

MiSight® 1 day

MiSight® 1 day is a dual focus soft contact lens that was the first FDA-approved myopia control treatment to provide clear vision while simultaneously slowing the worsening of myopia. It was designed for young children and its safety and efficacy is supported by a 7-year study and hundreds of thousands of patients.

The center of the lens corrects distance vision so your child sees clearly, while rings around it change how light focuses in a way that signals the eye to slow its growth. A fresh pair goes in each morning and is thrown away at night, so there is no cleaning or storage.

Worn: During the day, a new pair every day
Good fit for: Active children who are ready to handle contact lenses with a parent's help

A girl wearing glasses reading a book by a window

Eyeglass lens · FDA market authorized

Stellest Lenses

Stellest lenses were FDA market authorized to control myopia in September 2025. They utilize invisible little lenses mounted in glasses lenses to slow the progression of myopia. Their success in doing so depends on at least 10 hours a day of wear.

The center of each lens gives clear, everyday vision. Around it, rings of tiny lenslets send a slowing signal to the eye. To your child and everyone around them, they look and feel like regular glasses.

Worn: All day, at least 10 hours
Good fit for: Younger children, and children who are not ready for contact lenses

A young woman holding a soft contact lens on her fingertip

Soft contact lens · Used off-label

Soft Multifocal Contact Lenses

Soft multifocal contact lenses were originally designed to help adults see clearly at far away, mid-range, and close up, but studies have shown that they can help slow myopia progression in children as well.

For myopia control, eye doctors use center-distance designs, which keep distance vision clear in the middle of the lens and add extra focusing power toward the edge. Because they come in many prescriptions and replacement schedules, they can be an option when a child's prescription falls outside what dedicated myopia lenses cover.

Worn: During the day
Good fit for: Children and teens comfortable with contact lenses, including higher prescriptions

A boy in swimming goggles swimming in a pool

Overnight rigid contact lens

Orthokeratology (ortho-k) contact lenses

Orthokeratology (ortho-k) contact lenses temporarily reshape the cornea overnight. Upon removal in the morning, nearsightedness is corrected, delivering clear vision all day long. It is a great option for those that want freedom from daytime glasses and contact lenses, and especially swimmers and water polo players. These lenses must be worn each night to maintain clear vision.

Ortho-k lenses are custom-fitted rigid lenses. Because they are worn while sleeping, careful daily cleaning and handling is essential to keep the eyes healthy, and lenses should never be rinsed or stored in tap water.

Worn: Overnight while sleeping, removed in the morning
Good fit for: Swimmers, athletes, and families who want no glasses or lenses during the day

Prescription eye drop

Low-dose atropine eyedrops

Low-dose atropine eyedrops are instilled each night to slow the growth of the eye. Side effects may include mild dilation of the pupils and a temporary reduction in the eye's focusing ability. They are currently sourced from compounding pharmacies and as such, may have variable performance.

Atropine drops do not correct vision, so children still wear glasses or contact lenses to see clearly. Your eye doctor may recommend them on their own or alongside one of the lens options above.

Used: Each night at bedtime
Good fit for: Children who need extra help, alone or combined with special lenses

Glasses that correct, but don't control

These glasses help a child see clearly, but they do not slow the eye's growth.

A young boy in round glasses reading in front of a bookshelf

Single Vision Glasses

Single vision glasses provide clear vision for a period of time, but don't do anything to keep the nearsightedness from worsening.

A pair of eyeglasses resting on an open notebook

Bifocals and Progressive Addition Lenses (PALs)

Bifocals and progressive addition lenses do not help slow myopia progression to any appreciable degree.

Choosing the right option

There is no single best treatment for every child. The right choice depends on your child's age, how strong their prescription is, how fast it is changing, and what fits your family's routine. Some children do best with a combination, such as special lenses plus atropine drops.

Whichever option you choose, regular follow-up visits let your eye doctor check that the treatment is working and adjust the plan as your child grows. Time outdoors and regular breaks from close-up work help too. Learn more on our What Is Myopia? page.

This page is for general education and is not medical advice. Talk with a licensed eye care provider about what is right for your child.