How to fix “plastic skin” with the AI Skin Enhancer

AI photo retouching has changed how we edit portraits, design visuals, and share content. If you use AI image generators, tweak selfies for social media, or prep visuals for marketing, you’ve probably seen skin smoothing in action. When it’s done right, it cleans up an image. But sometimes the result is too smooth, too flat. This is what we call “plastic skin.”

This guide explains what “plastic skin” is, how it happens, and how to fix it using the Freepik AI Skin Enhancer in the Image Upscaler. You’ll learn how to recover texture, fix over-edited photos, and keep your images polished without losing that natural look.

You can also watch a quick preview: Magnific Skin Enhancer: Natural-looking AI Upscaling. It shows what the tool can do.

What is “plastic skin” in photos?

It shows up when editing tools or AI over-smooth facial features and wipe away natural details. Pores vanish. Shadows flatten out. The face can begin to resemble a doll or a computer-generated image more than a real person.

You’ll often notice it in over-filtered selfies, AI-generated faces with no texture, portraits with automatic “beautify” settings, and low-res images retouched with too much blur.

Some smoothing is helpful for minor cleanups. But when it’s overdone, the final image can feel fake.

Why “plastic skin” ruins realism?

We’re wired to read faces instantly. Even tiny changes can stand out. Here’s why “plastic skin” breaks the connection:

• Missing texture: skin isn’t perfectly smooth. It has pores, lines, and subtle color shifts. Removing those details makes the face look unreal.
• Flat lighting: natural skin reflects and absorbs light in different ways. When smoothing wipes out shadows and highlights, faces lose depth.
• Uncanny valley effect: when a face looks almost human but not quite, it creates discomfort. Plastic skin often falls into this in-between space.
• Loss of trust: in branding or professional visuals, over-editing can feel dishonest. People respond better to content that looks polished but real.

What causes “plastic skin” in AI editing?

Even smart AI tools can mess up skin texture if the image isn’t great or the filters are too strong. These are the main culprits:

• One-click smoothing filters: many apps apply strong filters by default. Without adjusting them, the final look often feels unnatural.
• Low-resolution images: AI needs detail to do its job. With low-res photos, it has to guess, and that often leads to blurry or overly smooth results.
• Mobile beauty modes: smartphones sometimes apply filters automatically, like eye brightening or skin smoothing, without users realizing it.
• Biased training models: some AI models are trained on polished, commercial-style photos. That can push results toward an unrealistic skin look.
• Multiple rounds of editing: each time you edit and save an image, a bit of detail gets lost. Combine that with heavy AI filters, and texture can disappear completely.

What skin imperfections can AI fix without causing “plastic skin”?

The AI Skin Enhancer in the Freepik Image Upscaler is made to improve skin without removing what makes it look real. It works by correcting common issues while keeping texture, tone, and contrast in place.

Here’s what it can handle naturally:

• Light acne or redness without blurring the full face.
• Uneven skin tone or color patches.
• Fine lines and wrinkles, softened but still visible.
• Shiny spots from strong lighting.
• Deep shadows or contrast from studio setups.

The result is a smoother and more polished photo that still looks like a real person.

Try AI Skin Enhancer

How to fix “plastic skin” using AI

You can improve texture and restore natural detail in a few steps with the Freepik AI Skin Enhancer, part of the Image Upscaler.

Step 1: Open the Freepik AI Suite and launch the Image Upscaler

Head to the Freepik AI Suite and open the Image Upscaler. This hub includes tools for enhancement, cleanup, and texture recovery.

Step 2: Select the Skin Enhancer option

After uploading your photo, choose Skin Enhancer. This feature uses an AI image enhancer engine to:

• Restore details like pores and soft shadows.
• Add realistic skin texture using photographic grain.
• Introduce tonal variation that mimics real skin.
• Apply changes precisely to targeted areas.

Step 3: Choose a mode

Pick the level of enhancement that fits your project:

• Creative: more stylized, great for beauty or artistic edits.
• Faithful: subtle changes that protect original skin structure.
• Flexible: a balanced option for everyday portraits.

Start with Flexible, then explore other modes based on your project.

Step 4: Adjust sharpness, grain, and detail

Use the sliders to refine the result:

• Sharpness adds clarity where the image is soft.
• Grain brings back texture to avoid a plastic look.
• Detail restores micro features like pores and faint lines.

You’ll see a real-time preview so you can compare before and after.

Step 5: Click Enhance to finish

Once everything looks right, click Enhance. The AI applies your settings and gives you a high-resolution version that feels clean, natural, and (most importantly) human.

Try AI Skin Enhancer

Best practices for natural-looking AI skin retouching

Even with Magnific doing the hard part, editing choices still make a big difference. Keep your results clean and realistic by following these tips:

• Start with high-quality images: better input leads to better output. Avoid blurry or compressed photos when you can.
• Don’t over-correct: enhance, don’t erase. Keep natural marks like freckles or folds whenever possible.
• Zoom in and out: it helps to make small edits at full zoom, but always step back to see how the photo looks overall.
• Adjust per subject: skin varies by age, tone, and lighting. One setting won’t fit every face.
• Skip extra filters: let the AI skin enhancer do its job. Extra filters can undo the natural look you worked for.
• Work with what you have: don’t try to fix a bad photo with face swaps or generated heads. Focus on enhancing the original image.

Use cases for AI skin enhancement

Creative teams and individuals use AI skin tools in all kinds of projects. This is how they’re making the most of it:

• Social media creators: clean up selfies or portraits before posting, while keeping skin texture and personality intact.
• Marketing designers: edit weak stock photos or AI-generated faces used in campaigns without losing realism.
• Fashion and beauty brands: polish models for lookbooks or ads while keeping skin natural and expressive.
• Editorial teams: refine portraits for articles and covers without crossing into uncanny territory.
• AI image generator users: add life and texture to faces that look too smooth or flat straight out of a generator.