The idea of wearing contact lenses not only for visual correction but also for bettering eyesight and eye health has been around for some time, though not always with great results . Some eye product manufacturers and eye specialists attempted some twenty years ago to create lenses that reshaped the cornea and simultaneously improved visual acuity- which is called ‘ orthokeratology '. In 2002 the FDA in the U.S granted overnight wear approval to a type of corneal reshaping called Corneal Refractive Therapy (CRT). Now, a few new products addressing this goal are beginning to show up in the market, and they have been proven effective in temporarily correcting vision during sleep, such as successful new ortho-k lens design types, called "reverse geometry" or "return zone lenses".

Some people are turning to reshaping contact lenses as an alternative to eye surgery. Instead of correcting any malformation of the cornea through elective surgery and exposing yourself to all the risks inherit in it, products such as orthokeratology lenses can benefit people who don't mind wearing contacts occasionally, but don't want to be bogged down into wearing them every day. The advantage of ortho-k over surgery is that most refractive surgery procedures are permanent and with contacts you can stop use, allowing your corneas to regress back to their natural state, since no tissue is removed. Discontinuing lens wear altogether causes your corneas to gradually regress to their original shape or close to it.