> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.magnific.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Skin Enhancer - AI Portrait Enhancement API | Magnific API

> Enhance portrait skin quality with AI. Three modes: Creative for artistic effects, Faithful for natural preservation, Flexible for targeted optimization. Professional results for photographers.

<Card title="Magnific AI technology" icon="sparkles">
  Powered by Magnific AI, Skin Enhancer uses advanced neural networks to naturally improve skin texture while preserving facial details and identity.
</Card>

Skin Enhancer is an AI-powered portrait enhancement API that automatically improves skin quality in photographs. It offers three distinct processing modes: Creative for stylized artistic enhancements, Faithful for natural-looking improvements that preserve original appearance, and Flexible for targeted optimization based on specific goals. The API accepts images via URL or base64 encoding and returns high-quality enhanced portraits.

### Key capabilities

* **Three enhancement modes**: Creative (artistic), Faithful (natural), and Flexible (targeted) modes for different use cases
* **Sharpen control**: Adjustable sharpening intensity from 0 to 100 for precise detail enhancement
* **Smart grain**: Intelligent grain application (0-100) to maintain photographic texture and avoid artificial smoothing
* **Skin detail preservation**: Faithful mode includes dedicated skin detail control (0-100) to balance smoothing with texture retention
* **Optimization targets**: Flexible mode offers 5 presets: `enhance_skin`, `improve_lighting`, `enhance_everything`, `transform_to_real`, `no_make_up`
* **Flexible input**: Accepts both base64-encoded images and publicly accessible HTTPS URLs
* **Async processing**: Webhook notifications or polling for task completion

### Use cases

* **Portrait photography**: Enhance skin in professional headshots while maintaining natural appearance
* **E-commerce**: Improve model photos for fashion and beauty product listings
* **Social media content**: Quick skin enhancement for influencer and brand content
* **Wedding photography**: Batch process wedding portraits for consistent skin quality
* **Beauty industry**: Showcase cosmetic results with enhanced before/after comparisons
* **Corporate headshots**: Professional skin enhancement for business profiles and LinkedIn photos

### Choose your enhancement mode

Select the mode that best fits your needs:

| Mode         | Best For                             | Key Feature                                              |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Creative** | Artistic portraits, stylized content | More pronounced artistic enhancement                     |
| **Faithful** | Natural photography, editorial work  | Preserves original appearance with `skin_detail` control |
| **Flexible** | Specific optimization goals          | 5 optimization presets for targeted results              |

### Enhance skin with Skin Enhancer

Submit a portrait image to the appropriate endpoint based on your desired enhancement mode. The service returns a task ID for async polling or webhook notification.

<div className="my-11">
  <Columns cols={2}>
    <Card title="POST /v1/ai/skin-enhancer/creative" icon="sparkles" href="/api-reference/skin-enhancer/post-creative">
      Artistic skin enhancement with stylized effects
    </Card>

    <Card title="POST /v1/ai/skin-enhancer/faithful" icon="face-smile" href="/api-reference/skin-enhancer/post-faithful">
      Natural enhancement preserving original appearance
    </Card>

    <Card title="POST /v1/ai/skin-enhancer/flexible" icon="sliders" href="/api-reference/skin-enhancer/post-flexible">
      Targeted enhancement with optimization presets
    </Card>

    <Card title="GET /v1/ai/skin-enhancer" icon="list" href="/api-reference/skin-enhancer/get-skin-enhancer">
      List all skin enhancer tasks
    </Card>

    <Card title="GET /v1/ai/skin-enhancer/{task-id}" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/api-reference/skin-enhancer/get-{task-id}-by-id">
      Get task status and results by ID
    </Card>
  </Columns>
</div>

### Parameters

#### Common parameters (all modes)

| Parameter     | Type      | Required | Default | Description                                               |
| ------------- | --------- | -------- | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------- |
| `image`       | `string`  | Yes      | -       | Input image as base64 or publicly accessible HTTPS URL    |
| `sharpen`     | `integer` | No       | `0`     | Sharpening intensity (0-100)                              |
| `smart_grain` | `integer` | No       | `2`     | Smart grain intensity (0-100) to maintain natural texture |
| `webhook_url` | `string`  | No       | -       | URL for task completion notification                      |

#### Faithful mode additional parameter

| Parameter     | Type      | Required | Default | Description                           |
| ------------- | --------- | -------- | ------- | ------------------------------------- |
| `skin_detail` | `integer` | No       | `80`    | Skin detail enhancement level (0-100) |

#### Flexible mode additional parameter

| Parameter       | Type     | Required | Default        | Description                                                                                                      |
| --------------- | -------- | -------- | -------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `optimized_for` | `string` | No       | `enhance_skin` | Optimization target: `enhance_skin`, `improve_lighting`, `enhance_everything`, `transform_to_real`, `no_make_up` |

## Frequently Asked Questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="What is Skin Enhancer and how does it work?">
    Skin Enhancer is an AI-powered portrait enhancement API that uses Magnific AI technology to improve skin quality in photographs. You submit an image via the API, receive a task ID immediately, then poll for results or receive a webhook notification when processing completes. The output is a high-quality enhanced portrait.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between Creative, Faithful, and Flexible modes?">
    **Creative** mode applies more artistic and stylized enhancements for creative projects. **Faithful** mode preserves the original appearance while improving skin quality, ideal for natural photography. **Flexible** mode allows you to select specific optimization targets like lighting improvement or makeup removal.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What image formats does Skin Enhancer support?">
    Skin Enhancer accepts images as base64-encoded strings or publicly accessible HTTPS URLs. Common formats like JPEG and PNG are supported. For best results, use high-resolution portrait images with clear facial visibility.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What are the optimization targets in Flexible mode?">
    Flexible mode offers 5 presets: `enhance_skin` (default) focuses on skin quality, `improve_lighting` optimizes facial lighting, `enhance_everything` applies comprehensive enhancement, `transform_to_real` makes images appear more photorealistic, and `no_make_up` reduces visible makeup while enhancing skin.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I control the enhancement intensity?">
    Use `sharpen` (0-100) to control detail enhancement and `smart_grain` (0-100) to maintain natural texture. In Faithful mode, `skin_detail` (0-100) specifically controls how much original skin texture is preserved. Lower values produce smoother results; higher values retain more natural texture.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What are the rate limits for Skin Enhancer?">
    Rate limits vary by subscription tier. See [Rate Limits](/ratelimits) for current limits and information about your plan.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How much does Skin Enhancer cost?">
    Pricing varies by subscription tier and usage volume. See the [Pricing page](/pricing) for current rates and subscription options.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Best practices

* **Image quality**: Use high-resolution images with good lighting for optimal results
* **Mode selection**: Choose Faithful for natural portraits, Creative for artistic projects, Flexible for specific optimization goals
* **Parameter tuning**: Start with default values and adjust `sharpen` and `smart_grain` based on output quality
* **Skin detail balance**: In Faithful mode, use `skin_detail` between 60-90 for natural results; lower values for smoother skin
* **Batch processing**: For multiple images, use webhooks instead of polling for efficient production workflows
* **Error handling**: Implement retry logic with exponential backoff for 503 errors

## Related APIs

* **[Image Upscaler Creative](/api-reference/image-upscaler-creative/image-upscaler)**: Upscale and enhance image resolution with AI
* **[Image Upscaler Precision](/api-reference/image-upscaler-precision/image-upscaler)**: High-fidelity image upscaling
* **[Image Relight](/api-reference/image-relight/image-relight)**: Change lighting conditions in photos
* **[Image Style Transfer](/api-reference/image-style-transfer/image-styletransfer)**: Apply artistic styles to images