Complete Guide to Portrait Retouching

Quick Answer For portrait retouching, upload your photo to EditThisPic and describe what you want: 'smooth the skin naturally', 'remove the acne', 'whiten teeth slightly', or 'brighten the eyes'. AI retouching works best with subtle, specific requests rather than heavy-handed changes. The goal is enhancement, not transformation.

Natural Skin Smoothing

The key to good skin smoothing is subtlety. You want to reduce imperfections while keeping skin texture that makes photos look real. Over-smoothed skin looks plastic and fake.

Upload your portrait

Clear, well-lit portraits work best. The AI needs detail to work with.

Request natural smoothing

'Smooth the skin while keeping natural texture', 'subtle skin retouching', or 'even out skin tone naturally'.

Check the result

Zoom in on skin. You should still see pores and texture. If too smooth: 'reduce the smoothing, keep more skin texture'.

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Prompt: "Smooth the skin naturally while keeping texture"

Removing Blemishes and Acne

Temporary blemishes like acne, bug bites, or scratches can be removed completely - they're not part of who someone is. This is different from skin smoothing, which is about overall texture.

Identify what to remove

Acne, pimples, cold sores, temporary marks. Leave permanent features like moles unless requested.

Be specific

'Remove the acne on the forehead and chin', 'clear up the blemishes', or tap to mark specific spots.

Preserve skin texture

Add: 'keep the natural skin texture where blemishes were'.

Before: Removing Blemishes and Acne — Before

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After: Removing Blemishes and Acne — After

Prompt: "Remove the acne and blemishes, keep skin texture natural"

Whitening Teeth

Teeth whitening is one of the most requested portrait edits. The goal is bright but natural - not glowing white. Subtlety is key.

Start subtle

'Whiten the teeth slightly' or 'brighten the smile naturally'.

Adjust if needed

Too white? 'Make the teeth whitening more natural'. Not enough? 'Whiten teeth a bit more'.

Check consistency

All visible teeth should look consistent. 'Even out the teeth color' if some are whiter than others.

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Prompt: "Whiten the teeth naturally"

Enhancing Eyes

Eyes are the focal point of portraits. Subtle enhancement can make them pop without looking unnatural. Common requests include brightening, reducing redness, and enhancing color.

Brighten eye whites

'Whiten the eye whites slightly' removes redness and tiredness.

Enhance catchlights

'Enhance the light reflections in the eyes' adds sparkle.

Reduce dark circles

'Reduce the dark circles under the eyes' for a well-rested look.

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Prompt: "Brighten the eye whites and reduce redness"

Reducing Wrinkles Naturally

Wrinkle reduction requires the most careful touch. Remove too much and you erase character and make people look strange. The goal is usually softening, not eliminating.

Soften, don't remove

'Soften the wrinkles slightly' or 'reduce the depth of the forehead lines'.

Keep expression lines

Smile lines and crow's feet show emotion. 'Keep the smile lines but reduce harshness'.

Preserve age-appropriateness

A 60-year-old with no wrinkles looks uncanny. 'Reduce wrinkles while keeping a natural mature appearance'.

Before: Reducing Wrinkles Naturally — Before

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After: Reducing Wrinkles Naturally — After

Prompt: "Soften the wrinkles while keeping a natural appearance"

Avoiding Common Mistakes

Portrait retouching gone wrong is immediately noticeable. Here are the most common mistakes and how to avoid them.

Don't over-smooth

Skin should have visible texture, pores, and natural variation. Porcelain-smooth skin looks fake.

Don't change bone structure

Reshaping faces, making noses smaller, or changing jawlines often looks unnatural. Stick to surface improvements.

Keep it consistent

If you smooth skin, the neck and hands should match. Inconsistent retouching is obvious.

Respect the subject

Enhance, don't transform. The person should still be recognizable as themselves.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I avoid the 'plastic' look in retouching?

Always include 'natural' or 'keep texture' in your prompts. 'Smooth skin while keeping natural pores and texture'. If results look too smooth, dial it back: 'reduce the smoothing effect' or 'add back some skin texture'.

Should I remove moles and freckles?

Generally no - these are permanent features that are part of someone's identity. Only remove them if specifically requested. Temporary blemishes like acne are different and usually fine to remove.

How white should I make teeth?

Teeth should look healthy and natural, not glowing. Real teeth have slight color variation and aren't pure white. Start with 'whiten slightly' and increase only if needed.

Can I retouch group photos?

Yes, but be specific about who to retouch: 'smooth the skin on the woman in red' or 'whiten the teeth of the person on the left'. Applying heavy retouching to everyone in a group often looks unnatural.

How do I fix red skin from flash?

Use 'correct the redness in the skin from flash' or 'neutralize the red tones while keeping natural skin color'. This is color correction, not retouching.

Can I make eyes a different color?

Yes! 'Change the eye color to blue' or 'make the eyes green'. This is an artistic change rather than retouching, so be aware it's clearly an edit.

How do I retouch for professional headshots?

Keep it conservative. Remove temporary blemishes, slightly smooth skin, brighten eyes minimally, subtle teeth whitening. The goal is 'best version of yourself on a good day' not 'magazine cover'.

Should I retouch the same way for men and women?

Traditionally, male portraits have less skin smoothing to preserve a textured, rugged look. However, this is a style choice. The same principles of subtlety and naturalness apply regardless.

Can I fix oily skin shine?

Yes, 'reduce the oily shine on the forehead' or 'mattify the skin while keeping it natural'. Don't remove all shine - faces have some natural reflection.

How do I retouch without losing sharpness?

Over-smoothing reduces sharpness. Use targeted retouching ('remove the blemishes') rather than blanket smoothing. You can also add 'keep the photo sharp' to your prompts.

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