a method for digital image eye artifact detection and correction include identifying one or more candidate red - eye defect regions in an acquired image . for one or more candidate red - eye regions , a seed pixels and / or a region of pixels having a high intensity value in the vicinity of the candidate red - eye region is identified . the shape , roundness or other eye - related characteristic of a combined hybrid region including the candidate red - eye region and the region of high intensity pixels is analyzed . based on the analysis of the eye - related characteristic of the combined hybrid region , it is determined whether to apply flash artifact correction , including red eye correction of the candidate red - eye region and / or correction of the region of high intensity pixels .