De-aging and Removing Skin Blemishes in PSE (Photoshop Elements) 6 and 7 By Using Blur Tutorial

Retouching photos to remove skin blemishes and wrinkles is a common task. For faces with only a few wrinkles the Rubber Stamp Cloning Tool works well. But for other images you need another approach.

This technique uses the blur filter.

Open up your image and zoom in so you can see the details you want to remove.
Removing wrinkles in Photoshop Elements
Use the Layers Palette, lower right, to duplicate the layer. I do this by clicking on the Background layer and dragging it over the New Layer icon (like a blank sheet of paper with a curled up corner).
Duplicate a layer in the layers palette

Now with the top layer selected (click on it in the Layers Palette) select the Guassian Blur filter from the Filter menu.

Us Guassian Blur on the top layer
Set a radius of blur that removes all the marks you wish to and maybe a bit more. You can tone it back later, so better to go a bit too far.
Blur the image to hid all the wrinkles and blemishes

Now use the Eraser tool to remove the blurred layer from the areas that you want sharp. Use a large, soft brush and work over the image. Use a smaller brish and pick out the edges of the face, etc.

Use the eraser tool to add back image sharpness

The Layers Palette has an Opacity slider that allows you to reduce how opaque a layer is so it blends with the one beneath. We will use it here to tone down the effect so that it looks more natural.

Use layer opacity to blend the two layers

And there you go, all done. The secret is to not to try to take off too many years, as the shape of the face changes as well (we’ll see how to do that later).

The blended resulting image

7 thoughts on “De-aging and Removing Skin Blemishes in PSE (Photoshop Elements) 6 and 7 By Using Blur Tutorial”

  1. Thank you for a very helpful tutorial! Appreciate the fact you did it for PSE which is what I use and is a wonderful program for the majority of us.

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