How Professional Headlight Restoration Works
Updated October 9, 2026 4 min readBy Dominick, owner of Slums Mobile Detailing
It looks simple from the outside. The results depend on judgment at every stage.
How is headlight restoration done?
Professional restoration masks surrounding paint, wet-sands the lens through progressively finer grits to remove oxidation, machine-polishes it to full clarity, cleans off residue, and applies a UV-blocking protective topcoat so the lens stays clear for years.
- 1. Inspect and mask
- 2. Wet sand (3–6 stages by condition)
- 3. Machine polish
- 4. Panel clean
- 5. UV topcoat
Why condition sets the price
Slums restores both headlights at your home for a flat, condition-based price: $150 faded, $165 yellowed, $185 damaged — including a UV-blocking protective topcoat.