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Causes:
If you are running into the brown face bug you need to understand what causes it in the first place. There are two known reasons;
(1) lack of memory/VRAM. You will see the bug occasionally, but not all the time (The HFR player refresh script/Rusty Face fix can only help with this type).
(2) mismatched face texture sizes and/or format. You will see the brown face bug all the time (Additional mods and 'fixes' are not going to help here, unless the mod actually corrects problematic textures).
What can YOU do about it:
(1) If it's the first one where you run into random brown faces that only happen OCCASIONALLY, the Rusty Face Fix or HFR's script will eliminate, or at least, minimize the occurrences. Also, it is best not to quick load your saves as it is known to cause the brown face bug, load your saves from the menu.
(2) For the second scenario where the bug happens constantly, even on fresh game load, no external fixes or scripts will help. The game has engine limitations where the face texture sizes must match; Yes, ALL OF THEM (including tints, masks, etc., there are hundreds). You cannot simply mix and match 2k face textures with the original 1k sizes. If you are unable to find the offending textures, I would suggest uninstalling all your face texture mods, and once the bug is gone, only then start installing them back, one by one. Make sure to stick to one resolution only (1k original, 2k, etc.).
If you are editing the face textures, you need to save them in the correct format as well. Do not use BC7 when exporting face textures. The textures must use these formats;
Face diffuse map (_d) =BC3
Face Normal map (_n) =BC5
Face Specular map (_s) =BC5
So to recap, to use 2K face textures, you will need a mod that covers ALL the textures, and also, do not mix and match sizes (if you are unsure if a certain 2k mod covers all textures or not, only install it AFTER you have installed a known, full 2k texture mod). You can check the HiPoly Faces REDUX description page for my recommendations. And finally, only install a 2K version of HFR if you have one of the full 2k face mods, otherwise stick to the main file only.
Notes on the Rusty Face Bug aka Brown Face Bug. Causes and Solutions.
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I'd just like to add the following information regarding 1K face textures as that was the cause of rusty face on my end a few months back (when I switched to Serene Skin).
Let's take basehumanfemale textures as an example.
Each texture has 3 files: diffuse (basefemalehead_d.dds), specular (basefemalehead_s.dds) and normal (basefemalehead_n.dds).
The dimensions for 1K face textures are 1024x1024, though not for everything. Diffuse (_d.dds) and normal (_n.dds) are supposed to be 1024x1024. Specular textures, on the other hand, should be half the size - 512x512.
If you are running 1K face and are experiencing the rusty face bug, check your textures.
If all your 1K face textures are the correct (all the dimensions are exactly how they should be) - dig a bit deeper.
If you're using any mods that edit/add stuff in form of makeup and what not (such as Collection of textures and presets for the girls), check those textures as well! I'm only bringing this up as just yesterday I found out that 6 textures from the said mod (replacer) are incorrect. I event went as far as creating a new preset just for the purpose of getting the rusty face issue, and I did.
To properly change the size of textures (1024x1024 to 512x512, for example), I'd recommend using Fallout 4 Texture Resizer
I sincerely hope this helps and saves future readers some time! Take care!
Your info is absolutely correct within the context of how most face tex mods and the vanilla game is set up. However, the specular actually does not need to be half the size of the other textures. You can have full 2K/4K face texture sets, provided of course, all the spec maps are correctly sized. Case in point, I use 2K spec maps along with 2K diffuse and normal maps, and it works great. Just a small FYI.
It's six textures with the wrong size as he said in the FaceDetails folder: CheekCreasesFemale_s.dds, CheekSunkenFemale_s.dds, EyeGauntFemale_s.dds, MouthBlemish03_s.dds, Pocks1_s.dds and Scar5_s.dds. So whoever is having problems with black faces and COT, try to either delete these textures, or resize them to 512x512 and save as BC5/ATI2 with mipmaps checked.
I had gotten the brown face bug before but a simple reload had fixed it. Got it again and it wouldn't go away, I was freakin' out. But I managed to stumble upon this thread and you've saved me. It was easy enough for me to find the culprit, now that you've enlightened me what causes the problem in the first place.
Thanks again!
But seriously, there could be any no. of other, unknown ways this bug could happen, this is a Bethesda game after all...
I asked because I see it two or three times per game, I use 2k textures, I have a GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, I don't know if lack of memory/VRAM plays any role here, the game runs smoothly, no CTD, no lags. Maybe it's just a Fallout 4 thing. I use Rusty Face Fix Redux 2022 - fixes the bug immediately.