Everything you're
wondering about OrthoK.

Orthokeratology, or OrthoK, is a non-surgical vision correction treatment using specially designed rigid contact lenses worn overnight. While you sleep, the lenses gently and temporarily reshape the front surface of your eye (the cornea), so you can see clearly during the day without glasses or daytime contact lenses.

OrthoK goes by several other names depending on where you've come across it: orthokeratology, OK lenses, night lenses, sleep lenses, dream lenses, and informally, "eye braces", since the lens gently reshapes the cornea overnight the way braces reshape teeth over time. In Chinese-speaking communities it's commonly known as OK镜 or 角膜塑形镜. All of these refer to the exact same treatment.

Yes. "OK lenses" and "OrthoK" are simply shorthand for orthokeratology, the same custom overnight contact lens treatment. There's no difference in the lens, the process, or the outcome, it's just a shorter way of saying the same thing.

Each lens is custom designed from detailed corneal scans to apply gentle, precise pressure as you sleep. Your eyelid and the lens work together to reshape your cornea by a pre-determined amount, calculated using 3D modelling software. When you remove the lenses in the morning, your cornea holds this new shape throughout the day.

When fitted correctly by an experienced practitioner and worn with good hygiene, OrthoK has a safety profile comparable to wearing regular contact lenses, and has been used safely for over 30 years. As with any contact lens wear, there's a small risk of corneal infection (estimated at 1–5 cases per 10,000 wearers), which is why regular reviews and good lens care matter.

Yes. OrthoK is a completely reversible process. If you stop wearing your lenses, your cornea will gradually return to its original shape over roughly 4–6 weeks, and conventional vision correction, glasses or regular contacts, can be resumed at any time.

Current OrthoK technology can treat most prescriptions, generally up to around −8.00D of short-sightedness, +5.00D of long-sightedness, and 4.00D of astigmatism. Your practitioner will confirm your suitability, and which lens system is the best fit, at your initial assessment.

Often, yes, but each of these needs a closer look at your assessment. Mild-to-moderate dry eye and allergies don't usually rule OrthoK out, though they may need managing alongside treatment. Astigmatism up to around 4.00D can typically be corrected with a toric OrthoK lens design. Higher prescriptions can also often be treated, though the achievable correction and expected outcome will vary. Your practitioner will confirm exactly what's realistic for your eyes before you start.

There's no strict minimum age. What matters more is whether your child can confidently and hygienically handle their lenses each night, with guidance from a parent where needed. Many of our patients start in primary or early high school, when myopia often begins to progress most quickly.

Yes. OrthoK is one of the most effective myopia control treatments currently available. Peer-reviewed research over the past 10–15 years shows it can slow myopia progression by more than 50% on average. Our clinic fully customises every OrthoK lens we fit, to achieve higher efficacies for myopia control than conventional OrthoK lenses.

OrthoK slows progression by shaping a peripheral zone of defocus on the cornea, modifying how peripheral light focuses in the eye and creating signals for the eye to slow down its elongation. Studies have shown that when a smaller central treatment zone is customised for an OrthoK lens, greater slowing of axial elongation can be achieved.

Not identically for every child. Response to any myopia control treatment varies from one child to the next, and OrthoK is no exception. The realistic goal is to meaningfully reduce the rate of progression, not to guarantee it stops altogether. This is exactly why we track your child's progress with objective measures like axial length, so we know how well treatment is working for them specifically, and can adjust the approach if needed.

We monitor this two ways: prescription change, and axial length (the physical length of the eye). Axial length is the more reliable of the two, since it measures underlying eye growth directly rather than relying on a corrected prescription, which can be harder to track precisely, and doesn't apply the same way once a child is in OrthoK. This is why regular reviews matter: they're not just about vision, they're how we catch early signs of progression before they become obvious.

Axial length is the distance from the front to the back of the eye. As a child's eye grows too long, which is what actually causes myopia, axial length increases. Measuring it gives us an objective, treatment-independent way to track whether an eye is still growing, and how fast. It's considered the gold standard for monitoring myopia progression, because unlike prescription, it isn't affected by the corneal reshaping that happens during OrthoK treatment. We use it at every review to confirm treatment is genuinely working, not just correcting vision.

Neither is universally "best". They work through different mechanisms, and suitability depends on your child's eyes, lifestyle and how they respond to treatment. OrthoK also corrects vision during the day (no glasses needed), which atropine alone doesn't do. We'll talk through the evidence for each option at your assessment, and recommend what's likely to suit your child best, sometimes that's one treatment, sometimes it's a combination of both.

Yes, and it's a common approach for children showing faster-than-expected progression. Combining OrthoK's optical effect with low-dose atropine's pharmacological effect targets myopia through two independent mechanisms at once, which can offer an added layer of control. This isn't a starting point for every child. It's typically considered when axial length monitoring shows OrthoK alone isn't slowing things down as much as we'd like.

Each option works differently, and the right choice depends on your child's age, prescription, lifestyle and comfort with lenses. Here's a quick comparison:

Treatment	Corrects Vision	Worn	Reversible
OrthoK	Yes (all day)	Overnight only	Yes
MiSight (contact lens)	Yes (while worn)	Daytime	Yes
Myopia-control glasses	Yes (while worn)	Daytime	Yes
Atropine drops	No	N/A (nightly drop)	Yes

For a fuller breakdown of how each option slows myopia progression, see our Myopia Management page →.

Many patients notice improved vision within the first few nights, though full correction typically takes around 1–2 weeks of consistent overnight wear. Vision may fluctuate a little during this settling-in period, and glasses or disposable contacts can be used as a backup if needed.

There's usually a brief adjustment period in the first few nights, but most wearers, children included, settle in quickly and sleep through the night comfortably. Because the lenses are only worn overnight, there's no daytime awareness of them at all.

One missed night is generally fine. Vision is often still reasonably clear the next day, though it may be a little softer by the evening as the correction gradually fades. Simply resume wearing the lenses the following night as normal. If several nights are missed in a row, vision may take a night or two of wear to fully sharpen again. If you're ever unsure, or vision doesn't recover as expected, give us a call.

Yes. This is one of the biggest everyday reasons families choose OrthoK. Once your child is correcting well, they can swim, play sport and go about their school day with clear vision and nothing to lose, break, fog up or forget. No glasses to worry about, no daytime contacts to insert or remove.

This is a very common concern, and completely normal. We spend real time on hands-on training with every new wearer, going at their pace, and parents are welcome (and often needed) to help with insertion and removal at home, especially early on. Most children build confidence within the first couple of weeks. That said, every child adapts differently. We'll be honest with you if a child is really struggling, rather than pushing ahead regardless.

Every night, lenses should be cleaned with the solution provided in your starter kit, rinsed, and stored in a clean case with fresh solution, never tap water. Cases should be replaced regularly, and hands washed thoroughly before handling lenses. We walk every patient through the full routine at your fitting appointment, and you can find our step-by-step video guide in the Patient Resources section below.

The main risk, as with any contact lens wear, is corneal infection, though this is uncommon when lenses are cared for properly and reviews are attended as recommended. Some patients notice mild halos or glare around lights at night, particularly early on; for children using OrthoK for myopia control, this is actually a normal part of how the treatment works.

Stop wearing the lens straight away and contact us as soon as possible. These symptoms don't always mean something serious, but they need to be checked promptly rather than waiting it out. Early attention is what keeps small issues from becoming bigger ones. Outside clinic hours, if symptoms are severe or rapidly worsening, seek urgent care at your nearest eye hospital or emergency department.

Your cornea will gradually return to its original shape over about 4–6 weeks, and your vision will return to how it was before treatment. There are no lasting changes. This is exactly why OrthoK is considered a reversible treatment, unlike surgical options.

Treatment packages for both eyes start from $1,900, depending on the complexity of your prescription and eye shape. This includes your custom lenses, fitting appointments, and reviews for the first 12 months. Replacement lenses and ongoing care beyond the initial 12 months are priced separately. Our team can walk you through the full fee structure at your assessment.

Expect around 3–4 visits during the initial fitting process, then reviews roughly every 3 months during the first year to monitor treatment effect and eye health. After the first year, once things are stable, reviews are typically every 6 months.

For many adults, yes. OrthoK offers a safe, reversible, non-surgical alternative to LASIK, with no incisions, no downtime, and nothing permanent. It's a great option for anyone not ready to commit to surgery, or who isn't a suitable LASIK candidate.

The best way to find out is a comprehensive assessment with one of our optometrists, including detailed corneal mapping, to check your suitability and talk through whether OrthoK fits your (or your child's) prescription, lifestyle and goals. We'll always give you an honest recommendation, even if that means suggesting a different treatment altogether.