The global rise in childhood myopia continues to drive innovation in optical interventions, particularly those designed to slow axial elongation rather than simply correct refractive error. Essilor has introduced Essilor Stellest 2.0, an updated spectacle lens intended to enhance myopia control in pediatric patients by refining the optical design used in the original Stellest lenses released in 2020.
The new lens incorporates an updated version of Essilor’s Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target (H.A.L.T.) technology, referred to as H.A.L.T. MAX, which increases both the optical power and asphericity of the microscopic lenslets embedded within the lens surface. According to Essilor, the modification is intended to strengthen the optical signal believed to slow axial elongation – the structural change underlying progressive myopia.
Myopia management has become an increasingly urgent topic in ophthalmology and optometry. Epidemiological research suggests the prevalence of myopia is increasing worldwide, particularly among younger populations (1, 2). This trend has raised concerns about the long-term risks associated with high myopia, including retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, and glaucoma (3, 4). As a result, clinicians are increasingly considering early interventions that go beyond simple refractive correction.
Spectacle lenses designed to influence myopia progression have emerged as a non-invasive option for children, complementing other approaches such as pharmacological treatment and contact lens-based interventions. The original Essilor Stellest lens uses a constellation of microscopic lenslets arranged in concentric rings around a central refractive zone. The design aims to alter the way light is distributed across the retina, creating a signal that may help slow the elongation of the eye.
Clinical studies of the first-generation Stellest lens reported an average67 percent reduction in myopia progression compared with single-vision lenses when worn consistently over two years (5). The updated design seeks to enhance this effect by modifying the characteristics of the lenslets themselves.
Researchers involved in the product’s development investigated what Essilor describes as a dose–response relationship between lenslet characteristics and myopia control efficacy. Increasing the mean power and asphericity of the lenslets, they hypothesized, could strengthen the optical stimulus thought to slow eye growth.
Charlotte Timbury, Director of Medical and Professional Affairs for EssilorLuxottica North Europe, says the design changes aim to amplify this signal.
“The lenslets work on two key principles: increasing their mean power and increasing their asphericity,” she explains. “Together these changes create a greater volume of non-focused light positioned in front of the retina compared with the previous generation. The result is a stronger optical signal that can help slow axial elongation.”
The updated design also alters the distribution of lenslets across the lens. Stellest 2.0 contains 12 concentric rings of lenslets, compared with 11 in the earlier version, and is available in a wider 75 mm lens diameter, potentially expanding frame compatibility for pediatric wearers.
Evidence supporting the new design comes from a contralateral crossover clinical trial conducted in Singapore, involving 50 myopic children aged six to ten years. In the study, one eye of each participant was fitted with the original Stellest lens and the other with the Stellest 2.0 lens (6,7).
After six and 12 months, the updated lens demonstrated a significant reduction in axial elongation compared with the first-generation lens, with eye growth reported to be approximately 1.88 times slower in eyes wearing the newer design (6). The study also suggested that younger children – particularly those aged 8.5 years or younger – may experience greater benefit, though further research will be required to confirm long-term outcomes (6).
For clinicians, communicating the value of myopia management to families remains a key challenge. Timbury notes that many parents still view spectacles primarily as a vision correction tool rather than as a means of influencing disease progression.
“It’s important to explain that standard single-vision lenses correct vision but do not slow the underlying progression of myopia,” she says. “Early intervention is important because some children experience rapid progression, which can increase the risk of developing high myopia later in life.”
From a patient perspective, the new lenses retain the overall visual design of the original product: a clear central zone providing standard refractive correction surrounded by an array of lenslets that are typically imperceptible to the wearer. Essilor states that the lenses maintain the same visual clarity and impact resistance as earlier Stellest products while incorporating the updated optical configuration.
The introduction of Stellest 2.0 reflects the broader momentum behind spectacle-based myopia control strategies. While atropine therapy, orthokeratology, and multifocal contact lenses all play roles in current management pathways, spectacle lenses remain an accessible option for many younger children and families seeking a non-invasive intervention.
As research into the mechanisms of myopia progression continues, optical approaches are likely to evolve further. New designs such as Stellest 2.0 illustrate how manufacturers are attempting to refine the optical signals delivered to the retina in an effort to improve long-term control of childhood myopia.
The new lens incorporates an updated version of Essilor’s Highly Aspherical Lenslet Target (H.A.L.T.) technology, referred to as H.A.L.T. MAX, which increases both the optical power and asphericity of the microscopic lenslets embedded within the lens surface. According to Essilor, the modification is intended to strengthen the optical signal believed to slow axial elongation – the structural change underlying progressive myopia.
Myopia management has become an increasingly urgent topic in ophthalmology and optometry. Epidemiological research suggests the prevalence of myopia is increasing worldwide, particularly among younger populations (1, 2). This trend has raised concerns about the long-term risks associated with high myopia, including retinal detachment, myopic maculopathy, and glaucoma (3, 4). As a result, clinicians are increasingly considering early interventions that go beyond simple refractive correction.
Spectacle lenses designed to influence myopia progression have emerged as a non-invasive option for children, complementing other approaches such as pharmacological treatment and contact lens-based interventions. The original Essilor Stellest lens uses a constellation of microscopic lenslets arranged in concentric rings around a central refractive zone. The design aims to alter the way light is distributed across the retina, creating a signal that may help slow the elongation of the eye.
Clinical studies of the first-generation Stellest lens reported an average67 percent reduction in myopia progression compared with single-vision lenses when worn consistently over two years (5). The updated design seeks to enhance this effect by modifying the characteristics of the lenslets themselves.
Researchers involved in the product’s development investigated what Essilor describes as a dose–response relationship between lenslet characteristics and myopia control efficacy. Increasing the mean power and asphericity of the lenslets, they hypothesized, could strengthen the optical stimulus thought to slow eye growth.
Charlotte Timbury, Director of Medical and Professional Affairs for EssilorLuxottica North Europe, says the design changes aim to amplify this signal.
“The lenslets work on two key principles: increasing their mean power and increasing their asphericity,” she explains. “Together these changes create a greater volume of non-focused light positioned in front of the retina compared with the previous generation. The result is a stronger optical signal that can help slow axial elongation.”
The updated design also alters the distribution of lenslets across the lens. Stellest 2.0 contains 12 concentric rings of lenslets, compared with 11 in the earlier version, and is available in a wider 75 mm lens diameter, potentially expanding frame compatibility for pediatric wearers.
Evidence supporting the new design comes from a contralateral crossover clinical trial conducted in Singapore, involving 50 myopic children aged six to ten years. In the study, one eye of each participant was fitted with the original Stellest lens and the other with the Stellest 2.0 lens (6,7).
After six and 12 months, the updated lens demonstrated a significant reduction in axial elongation compared with the first-generation lens, with eye growth reported to be approximately 1.88 times slower in eyes wearing the newer design (6). The study also suggested that younger children – particularly those aged 8.5 years or younger – may experience greater benefit, though further research will be required to confirm long-term outcomes (6).
For clinicians, communicating the value of myopia management to families remains a key challenge. Timbury notes that many parents still view spectacles primarily as a vision correction tool rather than as a means of influencing disease progression.
“It’s important to explain that standard single-vision lenses correct vision but do not slow the underlying progression of myopia,” she says. “Early intervention is important because some children experience rapid progression, which can increase the risk of developing high myopia later in life.”
From a patient perspective, the new lenses retain the overall visual design of the original product: a clear central zone providing standard refractive correction surrounded by an array of lenslets that are typically imperceptible to the wearer. Essilor states that the lenses maintain the same visual clarity and impact resistance as earlier Stellest products while incorporating the updated optical configuration.
The introduction of Stellest 2.0 reflects the broader momentum behind spectacle-based myopia control strategies. While atropine therapy, orthokeratology, and multifocal contact lenses all play roles in current management pathways, spectacle lenses remain an accessible option for many younger children and families seeking a non-invasive intervention.
As research into the mechanisms of myopia progression continues, optical approaches are likely to evolve further. New designs such as Stellest 2.0 illustrate how manufacturers are attempting to refine the optical signals delivered to the retina in an effort to improve long-term control of childhood myopia.
References
- Z Chen et al., "Significant myopic shift over time: sixteen-year trends in overall refraction and age of myopia onset among Chinese children," Journal of Global Health, 13: 04144. (2023). PMID: 37934967.
- SJ McCullough et al., "Six year refractive change among white children and young adults: evidence for significant increase in myopia among UK children," PLoS One, 19;11(1): e0146332 (2016). PMID: 26783753.
- JS Wolffsohn et al., "IMI – myopia control reports overview and introduction," Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 60(3):M1–9 (2019). PMID: 30817825.
- P Sankaridurg, "A less myopic future: what are the prospects?" Clinical and Experimental Optometry. 98, 494 (2015). PMID: 26769176.
- J Bao et al., "Spectacle lenses with aspherical lenslets for myopia control vs single-vision spectacle lenses: a randomized clinical trial," JAMA Ophthalmology, 140,472 (2022). PMID: 35357402.
- RN Raveendran et al., "Effect of increased power and asphericity of highly aspherical lenslets on myopia control efficacy: a contralateral crossover study,"Translational Vision Science & Technology, 14,9 (2025). PMID: 41222192.
- EssilorLuxottica. Effect of increased power and asphericity of lenslets on myopia control efficacy: 12-month results of a contralateral crossover clinical trial. Data on file, 2025.
