Why free AI photo restoration changes faces — and how to avoid it

Free “restore my photo” tools have become very good at making old pictures look sharp. Genealogists, family historians and photo editors have noticed the catch: the result often shows a person who looks a little different — another nose, other eyes, a younger face.

Why it happens

When part of a face is missing — a crack across the cheek, a faded eye, a stain over the mouth — the software has to invent the missing part. It fills the gap with what a typical face looks like, not what your grandmother looked like. The more damage, the more it invents, and the result can look convincing and still be wrong.

How to tell

Put the original and the restored photo side by side and look at:

• the shape of the eyes and eyelids,
• the nose and the mouth corners,
• ears, hairline and any marks (moles, scars, glasses),
• age — restored faces are often “smoothed” younger.

If the family looks at it and says “that’s not quite him”, they are usually right.

How we work

We use modern restoration tools too — they are the best way to repair cracks, dust and fading. The difference is what happens next:

1. We compare every restored face with your original using face-matching software and by eye.
2. If a face has drifted, we don’t send it. A person repairs it by hand, or we tell you honestly that the damage is too heavy.
3. You see a preview first and can ask for changes for free.
4. We never “improve” anyone — no slimming, no smoothing, no younger skin unless you ask.

That is the whole promise: the same face, checked by a person.