Why lenses haze
Headlights are polycarbonate with a thin factory UV coating. Sand pits the surface, UV degrades the coating, and the plastic yellows and clouds. Light output drops; night driving gets worse; the car looks old from thirty feet.
What restoration does
Wet sanding removes the damaged layer, polishing brings back clarity, and a new clear is applied. The lens looks new. The new clear is not as durable as the factory one, so in Florida sun the haze returns in a year or two.
What makes it last
Clear paint protection film on the restored lens. It takes the pitting, blocks the UV, and self-heals light scratches. Headlights are included in every PPF package from Partial Front at $899; on a car with hazed lenses, restore first, then film.
New cars
Skip the restoration entirely by filming the lenses now. A new lens under film stays a new lens.