-- Use the Cookie Cutter filter, and then reduce the brightness of a copy of the event (on the lower track); or
-- Generate a Gradient Media event on an upper track, to reduce the brightness (and/or change the color) over a selected area of an event.
You could try using the Glow filter or V4's new Secondary Color Correction filter. I'm using a Glow filter on an entire project (because some burnt-out church windows appear in the background) to cut the highlights while giving them a warm color, and also a Secondary filter to reduce selected reflections (on white shirts) that are below the Glow filter's threshold.
In addition to the above since it sounds more like a over saturation problem, have you tried cutting back slightly on the saturation? Skintones, especially fair skinned people in bright scenes can have over saturated color, as you noticed in the cheek bones, bridge of the nose, etc.. You may also want to consider using the older levels filter and adjust either output start or end a very small amount.
If you want a more involved fix building a mask with the color secondary filter and reducing the hue of only the overly bright tones will work... but its a lot of trial and error to get it exactly right without messing up objects you don't want to change.
Might try playing with the broadcast color plugins...
*IF* you can't adjust it into a range of your liking using any of the hints posted - if the highlights are washed out, already converted to white values... Might try a tint, perhaps in combo with a mask.
Video loves to block up light skin tones to a chalky white - generally you need good applications of matte makeup (prior to shooting) to prevent this from happening. Bald heads are particularly prone to this problem.
So...
if you find a workable solution, (maybe from above suggestons?) would you be kind enough to report it's success or failure here? We're interested, too.
Yep, this kind of problem much easier to fix prior to shooting. Someone should yell MAKEUP! and some markup girl should coming running out with a big powderpuff or something. LOL!
Not seeing the footage - it sounds like a easy job of muting highlights in color (brightness/contrast) correction. That causes another problem - matching surrounding scene footage. Same room, same light, etc. Try the Threshold filter and adjust for the shine (hot spots) - blur it -lay that on the track above and play with the transparency setting. That might do the trick.