title: Measurement of erythema and tanning responses in human skin using a tri-stimulus colorimeter.
abstract: A 'Minolta Tri-Stimulus Colorimeter II' was evaluated for obtaining objective measurements of early changes in erythema and tanning. The meter showed a subtle, continuous transition between the primary erythematous response and the delayed tanning of skin which was below the visual threshold for detection. Thereafter, the a* (redness) value of the meter showed a significant linear correlation with the dermatologist's perception of erythema while the b* (yellow) value showed a significant correlation with the perception of tanning. This capability of the tri-stimulus colorimeter to simultaneously evaluate the hue and saturation of skin color affords an improved opportunity to quantitate the transition from erythema to tanning without subjective bias.
authors.affiliation: Dermal Research Department, S.C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Racine, Wisc.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Seitz
authors.forename: C G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Whitmore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003124:Colorimetry / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D004890:Erythema / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000528:radiation effects; D013472:Sunlight / Q000009:adverse effects; D014796:Visual Perception