Multifocal Lens Halos and Glare at Night: The Real Trade-Off

By Dr. Audrey Tai, DO, MS, Athena Eye Care, Mission Viejo, Orange County, CA

The short answer: yes, multifocal and trifocal lenses can produce rings or starbursts around lights at night, most noticeably in the first few months. It is the trade-off for the reading range they give you, not a complication. For most people it fades as the brain adapts, and careful lens selection, accurate measurements, and treating dry eye beforehand reduce how much you ever notice it. If clean night vision is your top priority, an extended-depth lens is usually the better starting point.

Why halos happen

A multifocal or trifocal lens splits incoming light into more than one focal point so you can see near and far at once. At night, looking at a bright light, the focus you are not using shows up as a ring or starburst. It is simply how the optics work, and it is most apparent against a dark background with a point of light, like headlights or streetlamps.

What usually happens next

The brain adapts. Over weeks to a few months most patients stop noticing the halos as the visual system learns to ignore them, the same way you tune out a sound you hear constantly. The effect is usually strongest right after surgery and eases from there.

How I keep it to a minimum

Match the lens to your night-driving priority. If you tell me halos would bother you most, I lean toward an extended-depth lens, which produces the fewest.

Treat dry eye first. Dry eye scatters light and makes glare worse, so I address it before surgery.

Precise measurements and centration. A well-positioned lens produces cleaner optics.

Mini-mono blended vision. Tuning the two eyes slightly can soften the effect while keeping your range.

The real trade-off

A small number of people stay aware of some glare. That is exactly why I have this conversation before surgery, not after, so you choose a lens knowing its trade-off rather than discovering it later.

Frequently asked questions

Do all premium lenses cause halos at night?

Trifocals are the most likely to, extended-depth lenses produce the fewest, and a standard single-focus lens produces the least of all but gives you the least range of vision. It is a trade-off between reading range and night optics.

Do the halos go away?

For most people they fade over the first weeks to months as the brain adapts. They are usually most noticeable right after surgery.

What if they do not fade?

Managing dry eye, using glasses just for night driving, and in rare cases exchanging the lens are all options. We would work through it together.

Can I avoid halos entirely?

Choosing an extended-depth or standard lens reduces them, with the trade-off of less reading range. There is no lens that gives full reading range and zero night optics.

Related reading

→ Trifocal vs EDOF Lenses → The Tecnis PureSee Lens