Care & Restoration

Near-factory headlight clarity in under two hours.

Three-stage wet-sand and machine polish process removes UV oxidation and hazing from polycarbonate lenses. Better appearance and improved night-time light output — without replacing the headlight units.

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from €80 — Price per pair. Most vehicles priced at the base rate — very large or complex units may vary.

Headlight Restoration at freshcardetail studio

The Service

What Headlight Restoration actually is.

Modern vehicle headlights use polycarbonate (plastic) lenses rather than glass. Polycarbonate is lighter and more impact-resistant, but it degrades under UV radiation over time — yellowing, hazing, and becoming increasingly opaque. This process is visible from 3–5 years depending on the climate and parking exposure, and it reduces the light output from the headlight unit.

Headlight restoration uses a progressive wet-sanding process (working from coarser to fine grits) to remove the degraded outer layer of the polycarbonate, followed by machine polishing to restore optical clarity. A UV sealant is then applied to slow the return of oxidation.

Is This Right for You?

Is this service right for your car?

Headlight restoration is relevant for any vehicle where the headlight lenses have visibly yellowed or hazed. Beyond the visual impact — yellowed lenses look significantly older than the rest of the vehicle — degraded lenses measurably reduce the light reaching the road and can affect the beam pattern, which has a practical safety implication.

It is also relevant before a private sale: the headlights are one of the most immediately visible indicators of vehicle age and care, and restored lenses dramatically change the front-end appearance.

The Process

How Headlight Restoration works.

Lens assessment

We assess the degree of oxidation and confirm whether restoration will achieve near-factory clarity or whether the degradation is too advanced (very rare — most lenses respond well).

Masking

Surrounding paintwork is masked carefully to protect it from wet-sanding products.

Progressive wet-sand

The lens surface is wet-sanded through progressively finer grades to remove the degraded polycarbonate layer completely. Each stage removes the scratches left by the previous stage.

Machine polish

A fine machine polish restores optical clarity to the now-clear but micro-scratched surface.

UV sealant

A UV-resistant sealant is applied to the restored lens surface. This protects against reoxidation — without it, the polycarbonate will begin to yellow again within months.

The Work

Before & after — from the studio.

Transparent Pricing

What does Headlight Restoration cost?

Headlight Restoration

from €80

Price per pair. Most vehicles priced at the base rate — very large or complex units may vary.

Lens assessment
Paintwork masking
Multi-stage wet-sand process
Machine polish to optical clarity
UV sealant application
Both headlight units (per-pair pricing)

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No obligation. We assess first, quote second.

Common questions

How long will the restoration last?

With the UV sealant applied, most restored lenses remain clear for 1–3 years before any significant reoxidation. The rate of reoxidation depends on parking conditions (direct sunlight accelerates it) and climate. The restoration can be repeated.

Are there headlights that cannot be restored?

Extremely rare — most polycarbonate lenses respond to restoration even when heavily oxidised. Lenses that have been previously restored with incorrect products (spray lacquers rather than UV sealant) can present more challenge but are usually recoverable. We assess before starting and will advise if a lens is beyond the point where restoration will produce a satisfactory result.

Can I just buy a headlight restoration kit from an auto parts shop?

Consumer kits produce a temporary result — typically a few months — because the sanding and polishing stages are abbreviated and the UV protection included is not durable. The professional process is more thorough and uses a proper UV sealant rated for polycarbonate. The result lasts significantly longer.

Does headlight restoration improve light output?

Yes — measurably. A yellowed, hazy lens scatters and absorbs the light from the bulb. Restoring clarity to near-factory levels allows the designed beam pattern to form correctly and increases the light reaching the road. Vehicles with very degraded lenses can see a significant improvement in effective illumination after restoration.