CMYK conversion causes severe banding in dark skin tones

Hi everyone,

I’m having a problem when converting an image from RGB to CMYK in Photoshop.

The original RGB image looks smooth, especially around the darker skin tones and along the jawline. However, as soon as I convert it to CMYK, visible wavy bands / color steps appear around the jaw and other dark gradient areas. The skin transition becomes uneven and almost looks posterized.

I’ve attached both versions for comparison:

• Image 1: CMYK conversion — visible banding/artifacts around the jawline

• Image 2: Original RGB — smooth tonal transitions

The problem is much more noticeable in the dark brown skin tones next to the black gloves/background.

Is this caused by the CMYK color gamut, the color profile, bit depth, or something else?

What would be the best way to convert this image for professional printing without creating these bands or damaging the smooth skin gradients?

Also, if the print shop accepts RGB files, would it be better to leave the image in RGB and let their RIP/software handle the CMYK conversion?

Any advice on the correct Photoshop color-management workflow for this type of image would be greatly appreciated.