Diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry for skin phototype determination

作者：Gonzalez F J^*; Martinez Escaname M; Munoz R I; Torres Alvarez B; Moncada B

来源：Skin Research and Technology, 2010, 16(4): 397-400.

DOI：10.1111/j.1600-0846.2010.00450.x

• diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry
• skin phototype
• melanin content
• melanin index

Background: The Fitzpatrick skin phototype classification scheme has become the standard method for assessing the reaction of the skin to solar stimuli; this method can be easily biased by different factors, such as ethnicity or chronic sun exposure.
Methods: Diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry (DRS) is an objective and non-invasive method used in this work to determine constitutive skin color from the upper volar arm as an objective way of measuring skin pigmentation. A DRS-determined melanin index that accounts for skin pigmentation was obtained for 35 subjects of Hispanic origin, this melanin index was compared with the physician-diagnosed and self-reported skin phototypes.
Results: The results show that at least for Hispanic individuals, there is a clear clinical distinction between subjects with skin phototype I and their DRS-determined melanin index; however, subjects with skin phototypes II-VI have a large melanin index overlap.
Conclusion: Clinical assessment of skin phototype can be complemented by using DRS.

• 出版日期2010-11