1. A method for adjusting image characteristics, said method comprising: a) processing an image to create a low-pass (LP) image and a high-pass (HP) image; b) detecting skin-color regions in said LP image; c) creating a skin-color map of said skin-color regions; d) refining said skin-color map; and e) differentially processing said LP image wherein a skin-color region identified with said skin-color map is processed differently than a non-skin-color region, thereby creating a color-enhanced LP image.