Scratched spectacle lenses: polish, repair or replace?

A scratch right in your line of sight is hard to ignore. Before you try a home remedy, here’s the honest truth: scratches on modern coated lenses can’t be polished out. The good news is that you don’t need a new pair — just new lenses.

Why you can’t polish modern lenses

Almost all spectacle lenses today are plastic (CR-39, polycarbonate or high-index) with thin coatings on top: scratch-resistant, anti-glare and often blue-cut. A scratch usually cuts through those coatings. Polishing would remove the coating around it too — and change the lens surface, which can distort your vision.

Do home remedies work?

Toothpaste, baking soda, car wax and “scratch remover” kits are often suggested online. At best they fill the scratch for a short while; at worst they rub off more coating and leave a hazy patch. We don’t recommend any of them on prescription lenses.

When a scratch is OK to live with

• It’s small and near the edge, outside where you look.
• You don’t notice it while wearing your glasses.
• It doesn’t cause glare at night.

When to replace the lenses

• The scratch is in the centre of the lens.
• You see streaks or halos around lights, especially while driving at night.
• The anti-glare coating is peeling or crazing (fine cracked lines).
• You keep cleaning the lens but it never looks clear.

Scratched lenses can also make your eyes work harder, which can mean tired eyes by the end of the day.

Replace the lenses, keep the frame

If the frame is fine, you only need new lenses. With Viszy’s doorstep lens replacement, we pick up your glasses, fit fresh scratch-resistant lenses (blue-cut and anti-glare included on single vision) and bring them back. Pickup and drop are free.

How to stop scratches happening again

1. Use the case. Most scratches happen in bags and pockets.
2. Never put glasses lens-down on a table.
3. Rinse before wiping. Dust is abrasive — rinse with water first, then dry with a microfibre cloth.
4. Don’t use your shirt or tissue paper. Both can trap grit.
5. Avoid heat. Leaving glasses on a car dashboard can crack the coating.

Read next: Lens replacement price in India · Are blue-cut lenses worth it? · Browse eyeglasses