How to Remove Wrinkles in Photoshop

How to Remove Wrinkles in Photoshop

Retouching wrinkles on someone’s face can be a very *touchy* matter! Today we show you how to both completely remove wrinkles as well as reduce them in a more subtle manner.

Complete Removal

The healing brush tool is our best friend in terms of removing wrinkles! Be sure to use a brush size that is slightly larger than the wrinkle, and then sample a color right below the wrinkle to paint over it (Alt/Opt + Click). Make sure to select “Current & Below” for the sampling.

This technique must be used very carefully, as it is easy to make an elderly face look too smooth.

A More Subtle Approach

For a more natural approach, we can use the clone stamp tool. Duplicate the background layer (Cmd + J) to work on a layer with pixels. If you are on a new layer rather than a duplicated one, this technique will not work. Also, be sure to select the “Lighten” Mode; this paints over the wrinkle in a less obvious manner to conceal the lines.

This tends to be a quicker process than using the healing brush tool, because it simply lightens to darkest parts of the wrinkles and does not pull skin texture from other parts of the face.

[darkhorse]

1:16 to COMPLETELY remove the wrinkles
4:07 to REDUCE the wrinkles (recommended by Phlearn)

[ChrisadaSookdhis]

These 2tips work much better than a regular clone stamp, which I have been using for too long. Well worth every minutes to watch!

[codtalkr]

I'm Phlearnalmaniac, I saw I lot of tutorials of different "photoshop masters", but never like the way you make Photoshop looks so easy. 

[thanassisfournarakos]

Great tutorial. Very simple, extremely effective! Thanassis Fournarakos, (retired in 2011, born in 1946 )ProPhotographer, Athens, Greece. Thank you Aaron.

[verukiasado]

I am editing beauty photos all day; all these technics help me to shorten the time I take on each image. This is great!!!

[MichaelPFox]

Aaron you've shown us a TON of great techniques for a while now. It could be helpful for many people to see a comparison of techniques when several might be done on the same job. Maybe half a dozen photos showing why you would/wouldn't use clone stamp or healing brushes or frequency separation? Thanks for PHLEARN!

[AaronGRandall]

If you use the first method for removal, you can add noise grain at 3 or 4 and then decrease the opacity to lighten the wrinkles while adding a bit of texture as well, which makes it look very natural. :)

[dleivam]

awesome.. my mom always ask me to remove her wrinkles, and now thanks to you have a better way to do it. thanks

[Flyers]

You can use an empty layer with the clone stamp tool in "lighten" mode. Just change the new empty layers blend mode to lighten and also use the brush in lighten mode. Helps to keep your file size down in that you don't have to duplicate the entire background layer.

[mickelodiansurname]

You sir, clearly know more than how photoshop works, you know how to work photoshop!

[bolt]

Good stuff, i agree, the greatly reduced wrinkles looks much more realistic.

[psianipar]

i always use the patch tools before. but now i know how. thanks aaron

[AakaashBali]

Hey Aaron,

Quick idea.

I've actually been using a method similar to this for a while now. If you create a new layer, sample a wrinkle-free area that is lighter than the target but also nearby, and clone it over with a lighter blending mode and a brush flow of 10-12%, you can make it a nondestructive by painting on a new layer as well as maintaining a natural look. It'll also allow you to "build up" on the wrinkle removal through multiple passes. I generally do this prior to frequency separation, helps tons.

I did however never think of using the healing brush to completely remove them though. I've always just faded them away with this method. The healing brush actually does work pretty well, thanks!

[dangrandmaison]

Hi Howard....You are the best. One thing on the wrinkle removal with the Lighten tool....you used it at 100% opacity which is fine but tell the viewers if they lower the opacity AFTER the removal the wrinkles will come back to where it might look more natural, rather than total removal.

[ahmed_elalfy]

Brilliant Tip! I have been using the lighten Stamp tool but always used a new layer. Thanks Aaron and Phlearn. 

[luvsicily]

I just started watching your photoshop videos for only 3 days and I have learned so much. Thank You ! 

[randycampbell]

Great!! my just finishing my first year in new media web design thanks! God bless

[BruceRichardsonMusic]

Hey Aaron, just wanted thank you for your help.  I've soaked up a couple dozen of these, at least.  EXCELLENT tutorials, and your overall color/artist/composition chops are deep, my man!  My work is better thanks to you!

[Vividvisualsolutions]

Awesome! Just what I needed for the project I am working on.

[JohnnyGNV]

Very interesting to watch - I do this, but am not nearly as proficient as you are.  I agree, skin-smoothing techniques and air brushing can be overdone, and I have been guilty of doing that.  Hard to accept getting older (well, for some of us) so it's hard to resist the impulse to "keep going" as opposed to a more subtle change.  Thank you for sharing your expertise and I plan to watch again.