Essilor® Stellest™ glasses lenses: parents’ guide

• The Essilor® Stellest™ glasses lenses are able to correct vision and slow the progression of myopia by at least 50%, unlike standard single vision lenses.
• Essilor® Stellest™ are suitable for a wide range of children.
• It is important that Essilor® Stellest™ is worn full-time for the most myopia control benefit to be obtained.

Essilor® Stellest™ is a new generation of glasses (spectacle) lenses designed to slow myopia progression in children. Myopia, or short-sightedness, affects a child’s ability to focus on objects in the distance. One cause of myopia is an eyeball shape that is too long, which can happen if your child’s eye grows too quickly.

Wearing Essilor® Stellest™ lenses helps to slow down myopia by reducing the rate of excessive eyeball growth. Let’s look at  how they work.

Standard spectacle lenses for short-sightedness only work to correct vision. In contrast, Essilor® Stellest™ lenses both correct vision and slow down myopia progression.

They do this using concentric rings of treatment zones in the lens that create an extra defocus signal for the eye. These out-of-focus areas tell the eye to slow down growth. A certain amount of eye growth is normal in childhood, but an eyeball that is too long can become myopic. Slowing down eye growth also slows down further myopia development.

Essilor® Stellest™ lenses are suitable if your child’s prescription is below -10.00D with less than 4.00D of astigmatism. For higher prescriptions, they can be used together with corrective contact lenses.

Made from strong, thin polycarbonate lens material, they can be used in most styles of glasses frames. This material is lightweight and durable, making it an ideal choice for young or active children.

Your child with myopia will need glasses (spectacles) or contact lenses to see clearly. Both offer special types of lenses that can correct vision and also slow down myopia progression.

Glasses and contact lenses each have their own benefits, and some children wear both. The availability of treatments to slow myopia progression in children varies by country.

In a two-year research trial of children aged 8–13, Essilor® Stellest™ lenses were found to:

• Slow eye growth by at least half, to only 0.28mm over two years
• Reduce the worsening of myopia by almost 1.00D (4 steps) compared to those wearing single-vision lenses¹

Read What is refraction and Measuring myopia progression using axial eye length for more information on what to expect from myopia control.

These results were achieved in children who wore their glasses at least 12 hours per day, 7 days per week. Compared to single vision spectacles, both eye growth and worsening of myopia were slowed by at least half. This showed that Stellest lenses substantially slow myopia progression.

The main reason for wearing glasses is, of course, to be able to see better. Slowing myopia progression is an important further step and should not compromise vision. Choosing Essilor® Stellest™ lenses over regular lenses won’t mean your child has to settle for lower-quality vision.

Studies show no difference in image clarity compared to single vision spectacles.²

Wearing time is very important when using Essilor® Stellest™ lenses to treat myopia. You should encourage your child to wear their glasses full time. Ideally, that means at least 12 hours a day, every day.

This is the same whether you treat myopia with spectacles or contact lenses. Explain to your child the importance of wearing their corrective lenses, and how it will help.

Ask your optometrist or eye doctor about Essilor® Stellest™ glasses lenses. They can advise you on the suitability and availability of these lenses for your child, and answer any questions.