Myopia Control Contact Lenses
Myopia Control Contact Lenses Glasgow
Contact lenses are amongst the most effective methods available for slowing myopia progression in children. At Peter Ivins Eye Care in Bearsden, Glasgow — Scotland’s first dedicated myopia management clinic, launched in 2013 — we fit the full range of evidence-based myopia control contact lenses, assessed and reviewed by optometrist and director Craig McArthur.
You may want your child’s myopia evaluated and profiled if:
- They have normal vision now but are at risk of developing myopia, based on family history or lifestyle factors, or
- They’re already short-sighted and at risk of their myopia getting worse.
What Is Myopia?
Myopia (short-sightedness) happens when the eyeball grows too long, or the eye’s focusing power is too strong, for its length. Light focuses in front of the retina rather than on it, so distance vision is blurred while close-up vision stays clear.
Why Does Myopia Need to Be Controlled, Not Just Corrected?
Once myopia develops, it tends to keep worsening through childhood. The higher the level of myopia a person reaches, the higher their lifetime risk of serious eye conditions later in life, including retinal detachment, glaucoma and cataract. Standard glasses or contact lenses correct blurred vision but do little to slow this progression — myopia control lenses are specifically designed to do both.
What Causes Myopia to Develop and Progress?
A mix of genetics, individual characteristics, environment and lifestyle all contribute to a child’s risk:
| Factor | What it covers |
| Genetics | Family history of myopia |
| Individual characteristics | Current distance visual acuity |
| Environment | Time spent outdoors in daylight, per day |
| Lifestyle | Time spent on close-vision tasks per day (reading, homework, handheld games, drawing, screens), outside school time |
Environmental and lifestyle factors won’t change which lens we recommend, but they’re worth optimising alongside any treatment:
- Spend time outside every day. Natural daylight brightness appears to help, independent of exercise — though sun protection (sunglasses, sunscreen) still matters.
- Take regular breaks from close work. Look away for a minute or so every 30–60 minutes to change focus.
- Try to limit leisure near-tasks to around 2 hours a day outside school or work, keeping a good balance of indoor and outdoor time, especially at weekends.
Myopia Control Contact Lens Options in Glasgow
Every option below is fitted only after a full myopia assessment at our Bearsden clinic, which looks at your child’s age, prescription, corneal shape, astigmatism and lifestyle before recommending a specific lens. Families travel to our Bearsden clinic from across Glasgow and throughout Scotland for specialist myopia management.
MiSight 1 Day Contact Lenses
Daily disposable lenses using ActivControl technology. We were amongst the first dozen practices in the UK to fit MiSight, back in 2016, and it remains one of the most established myopia control contact lenses fitted at our Glasgow clinic.
MyDay MiSight 1 Day
CooperVision’s newest daily disposable, combining MiSight’s ActivControl technology with MyDay’s silicone hydrogel material, for children who need extra breathability and comfort.
Mylo Contact Lenses
Mark’ennovy monthly-replacement multifocal lenses, for children who prefer or need a reusable lens rather than a daily disposable.
Mylo Toric Contact Lenses
The toric version of Mylo, for children with myopia and astigmatism together — one of the few myopia control contact lens options available for astigmatism.
NaturalVue Multifocal 1 Day
An EDOF (extended depth of focus) daily lens available across a wide range of powers, useful where other designs haven’t suited a child.
SEED 1dayPure EDOF and Menicon Bloom Day
Further daily disposable multifocal and EDOF designs we were early UK adopters of.
Be Free and Be Free Toric
Multifocal daily lenses, with the toric version covering children who also have astigmatism.
OrthoK (Orthokeratology) in Glasgow
Rigid lenses, including Menicon Bloom Night, worn overnight to reshape the cornea. This corrects vision without daytime lenses or glasses while also slowing myopia progression — a popular option for active children and sports-playing families in and around Glasgow. Learn more about Orthokeratology (OrthoK) treatment.
If spectacle lenses are a better fit for your child — including Hoya MiyoSmart, MiYOSMART iQ, Essilor Stellest, Stellest 2.0, Zeiss MyoCare or SightGlass Vision DOT — see our full Myopia Control page for details on those options.
Comparing Our Myopia Control Contact Lens Options
| Lens | Replacement Schedule | Astigmatism Option | Worn Overnight |
| MiSight 1 Day | Daily disposable | No | No |
| MyDay MiSight 1 Day | Daily disposable | No | No |
| Mylo | Monthly | Yes (Mylo Toric) | No |
| NaturalVue Multifocal 1 Day | Daily disposable | Limited | No |
| SEED 1dayPure EDOF | Daily disposable | No | No |
| Menicon Bloom Day | Daily disposable | No | No |
| Be Free | Daily disposable | Yes (Be Free Toric) | No |
| OrthoK (Menicon Bloom Night) | Reusable | Some designs | Yes |
We’ll talk you through which of these suits your child best at your assessment, based on their prescription, astigmatism, corneal shape and lifestyle.
Why We Measure Axial Length
Myopia control at Peter Ivins Eye Care isn’t based on spectacle or contact lens prescription changes alone. We were the first practice in Scotland to install the Oculus Myopia Master, which measures axial length — the physical length of the eye — alongside refractive error. This lets us monitor how quickly a child’s eye is growing and gives us an earlier, more precise way of judging whether their myopia control contact lenses are working, rather than waiting for a change in prescription to show it.
Monitoring allows us to assess whether treatment is performing as expected and, if necessary, discuss alternative myopia control options rather than simply continuing the same approach unchanged.
Why Choose Peter Ivins Eye Care for Myopia Control Contact Lenses?
- Scotland’s first dedicated myopia management clinic, established in 2013
- A full range of myopia control contact lens options, fitted after individual assessment
- Oculus Myopia Master axial length monitoring, tracking eye growth alongside prescription
- Myopia management led by Craig McArthur, an internationally recognised myopia expert
- Families attend from across Glasgow and throughout Scotland for specialist myopia management
About Craig McArthur
Craig McArthur is the optometrist and director of Peter Ivins Eye Care, and an international lecturer on childhood myopia management. He has led myopia control at the practice since founding Scotland’s first dedicated myopia management clinic in 2013, and personally assesses and reviews the myopia control contact lens fittings described on this page.
How to Book a Myopia Control Contact Lens Assessment
Call our reception team on 0141 943 3300, email Craig directly at craig@peterivins.co.uk, or book a myopia control consultation online using our live web diary.
Common Questions About Myopia Control Contact Lenses
Are myopia control contact lenses safe for children?
Yes — lenses like MiSight 1 Day are specifically licensed and, in MiSight’s case, FDA-approved for myopia control in children, with safety monitored over multi-year studies. Suitability still depends on an individual assessment of your child’s eyes and ability to handle lenses hygienically.
What age can my child start wearing myopia control contact lenses?
Most children start between ages 8 and 12, though this depends on the specific lens and your child’s maturity with lens handling and hygiene, which we assess individually rather than by age alone.
Are contact lenses more effective than glasses for myopia control?
Both approaches have strong clinical evidence behind specific products, and neither is universally “better” — the right choice depends on your child’s lifestyle, prescription and how they get on with lens handling versus wearing glasses full-time, which we discuss at your assessment.
How often will my child need reviews once they start myopia control lenses?
Regular review appointments let us monitor progression and adjust the approach if needed — we’ll set out a specific schedule for your child as part of their assessment.
Which myopia control contact lenses do you offer in Glasgow?
We fit the full range of clinically evidenced myopia control contact lenses at our Bearsden clinic, including MiSight 1 Day, MyDay MiSight 1 Day, Mylo, Mylo Toric, NaturalVue, SEED 1dayPure EDOF, Menicon Bloom Day, Be Free, Be Free Toric and OrthoK.
What is the difference between MiSight and OrthoK?
MiSight is a soft daily disposable lens worn during the day; OrthoK is a rigid lens worn overnight that reshapes the cornea so your child sees clearly without any lenses or glasses during the day. Both slow myopia progression, and which suits your child depends on lifestyle, comfort and lens-handling maturity.
Can children with astigmatism wear myopia control contact lenses?
Yes — Mylo Toric and Be Free Toric are specifically designed for children with myopia and astigmatism together, where a standard spherical myopia control lens wouldn’t give clear vision.
Can my child play sport while wearing myopia control contact lenses?
Most of our myopia control contact lens options, including MiSight and Mylo, are well suited to active children and sport. OrthoK is worn overnight and leaves no lenses in during the day at all, which some sporty families particularly value.