Polishing (also referred to as buffing and/or compounding) is the step in the detailing process that yields the most dramatic difference in your paint's appearance. The objective of polishing is to remove imperfections in the clear coat that cause the paint to look dull. Surface imperfections can include swirls, scratches, water marks etc. Over time these surface imperfections accumulate causing light to fragment instead of passing directly through the clear coat yielding less gloss and depth. When these imperfections are removed, you will reveal the true potential of your vehicle's paint.
The most common type of paint damage are swirl marks. A swirl mark is a very thin and shallow scratch on the surface of your paint, that often comes from washing and drying improperly. Although some waxes on the market claim to "remove" swirl marks the reality is they just fill in the scratches hiding them temporarily. To eliminate these imperfections permanently requires polishing the paint surface.