Did both. I could lessen the problem, but not make it go away. The thing that helped most was using Shader Ops to push the transmap a bit. As checks I tried dialing all the light settings up to maximum. Got a ten-hour test render for my pains...but the problem was still there. So pixel size, shadow size, quality, photon count ain't it. I'm doing a test now to see if I can run skylight down and indirect up to lessen the problem. It is so painfully obvious I don't see any way to fix up the face (say, with a little light) without making it obvious I've done so.