correcting overexposed pics

I have been attempting to correct overexposed pics in CS3 to no avail. All the "adjustment" layers I've tried are not working. Can anyone offer a quick solution to correct skin tonal overexposure without under exposing the background and garments of the subject(s).
I checked the tutorials that were included and on site. But the curves and levels adjustments aren't getting it correct. When I do a print its either too dark over all or so light you can't see face details.
I shot in both jpeg & raw format. I did not have a separate light meter, my cameras built in meter fooled me!
Thanks for any help or suggestions!

You need to mask off the areas you want to adjust the exposure of. Make a selection of the area you want to apply the changes to and the changes will only affect the pixels in the selection area.

Masking is vague at best when color correcting a photo. Finding the black/white areas using a layer mask and curves is a much more efficient way and brings out the detail of the whole image with a uniformity that will bring the photo to life. Searching the web for tutorials on Overexposed Photos and joining the NAPP will turn you into a pro at color correcting your own images.