HOYA MiYOSMART glasses lenses: parents' guide

• MiYOSMART lenses deliver sharp distance vision along with a myopia slowing through DIMS technology, slowing excessive eye growth and reducing the frequency of prescription changes in glasses.
• MiYOSMART lenses look like standard glasses in appearance and comfort, making them a suitable choice for many children. They require consistent, full-time wear to achieve the best results in slowing the worsening of myopia.
• Strong evidence underpins MiYOSMART’s clinical benefits, giving parents a trustworthy way to safeguard their child’s long-term vision.

Myopia, or near-sightedness, causes blurred distance vision. Myopia develops when the eye grows more quickly than the expected rate in childhood. Wearing HOYA MiYOSMART lenses helps slow myopia progression by controlling this excessive growth.

HOYA MiYOSMART is a new generation glasses (spectacle) lens designed to slow myopia progression in children aged 6-18 years. Developed in partnership with leading researchers from The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, the MiYOSMART lens was first launched in 2018 and has since been adopted in many countries.¹

Let’s look at how these lenses work.

Standard spectacle lenses only work for vision correction – providing clear vision, but no protection against future worsening of myopia.

In contrast, MiYOSMART spectacle (glasses) lenses use a patented technology called DIMS (Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments). 

This is a design where hundreds of tiny ‘lenslets’, each about 1mm in size with a different focusing power to the background lens, are found in a ring-shaped treatment zone on the surface of the background single vision corrective lens. Each small ‘lenslet’ or segment sends a ‘defocus’ signal for the eye, which slows down the excessive eye growth which occurs in childhood myopia. There are small spaces in between the lenslets, giving children clear vision when looking anywhere across the overall lens.^2,3

There is a circular area (about 9 mm across) in the centre of the lens which has no defocus segments. Thanks to this design, it is possible for the lens to give your child clear vision for far away and close up objects, as well as slowing down the progression or worsening of their myopia. 

HOYA MiYOSMART has recently been expanded to suit a wider range of prescriptions or powers.⁴ The lenses are also available in larger sizes which can be fit into larger glasses frames, accommodating older children and teenagers. 

The lenses also feature impact-resistant polycarbonate material, built-in UV protection, scratch-resistance, and water-repellent anti-reflective coating, which are important for active kids. 

In 2023, photochromic (MiYOSMART Chameleon) and polarised sunglasses (MiYOSMART Sunbird) versions of the MiYOSMART lenses were rolled out globally to provide protection to kids’ eye health from intense sunlight.¹ 

Photochromic lenses go dark when exposed to UV light, and clear up again when indoors – they are like a 2-in-1 clear glasses and sunglasses combination. Polarised lenses are a special type of sunglass, which looks dark all the time, providing strong protection from UV and glare.

If your child has myopia, they’ll need glasses (spectacles) or contact lenses to see clearly. Choosing between MiYOSMART glasses or specialized contact lenses (both of which can slow down myopia worsening in kids) typically depends on your child’s lifestyle, hobbies and your family preferences. Each approach has unique advantages, so some children even wear both on alternative days – not at the same time!

MiYOSMART glasses are simple, familiar, and convenient —put them on in the morning, wear them through daily activities, and take them off at bedtime. 

Younger children especially might find it easier to wear glasses compared to contact lenses, which require careful handling and good hygiene habits to reduce the risk of eye infection. On the other hand, older or more responsible kids may prefer contact lenses for sports, outdoor activities, or for aesthetic reasons. 

The availability of treatments to slow myopia progression in children also varies by country. Ultimately, picking the right option will come down to a discussion between you, your child, and their optometrist or eye doctor.

Currently, there have been over 50 scientific publications conducted on MiYOSMART technology, in many countries around the world.⁵ Spanning over 6 years of data, the main study on MiYOSMART lenses has been carried out by The Hong Kong Polytechnic University.^6–8

In the first published study, which lasted two years in children who were aged 8-13 at the start of the study,⁶ MiYOSMART lenses were found to: 

• Slow eye growth by at least half
• Reduce the worsening of myopia by almost 0.50D (2 steps) compared to those wearing single-vision lenses

These results were achieved in children who wore their glasses on average for 15 hours a day, 7 days per week full-time, unless they were sleeping or taking a shower.⁶ Compared to wearing single vision glasses, both eye growth and worsening of myopia were slowed by at least half. This showed that MiYOSMART lenses substantially slow myopia progression.

Opting for HOYA MiYOSMART lenses over standard glasses doesn’t mean your child will have lower quality vision. MiYOSMART lenses are generally well-tolerated and accepted by children.⁹ Studies show no difference in image clarity (visual acuity), depth perception, and no effect on eye muscle focussing in MiYOSMART lenses compared to single vision glasses.⁸

It can sometimes take time to get used to new glasses. While some children will put them on and be fine right away, HOYA mentions that the adaptation period for new wearers of the MiYOSMART lens is 1-2 weeks.¹⁰ 

At first, your child may occasionally feel the vision is a bit ‘different’ to usual through the different parts of the lenses, such as the outer or side vision.⁹ These are the special ‘treatment’ parts of the lens which give it the ability to slow down myopia.

Wearing time is very important when using HOYA MiYOSMART lenses to treat myopia. You should encourage your child to wear their glasses full-time (as their main pair of glasses), except when sleeping or showering. 

This rule is the same whether your child is wearing spectacles or contact lenses for myopia. Myopia treatments work best when worn full-time and every day.¹¹ If the lenses are not being worn on some days, or being worn for a shorter period of time each day (e.g. just at school and not at home), then the level of effectiveness will likely be reduced. 

HOYA MiYOSMART spectacle lenses represent an innovative, evidence-backed option for myopia management in children and teenagers. Ask your optometrist or eye doctor to find out whether MiYOSMART lenses are available in your country, determine your child’s suitability, and answer any questions you may have on kids, glasses and myopia.

Product disclaimer: MiYOSMART has not been approved for myopia management in all countries, including the U.S., and is not currently available for sale in all countries, including the U.S.