title: Skin color measurement in Chinese female population: analysis of 407 cases from 4 major cities of China.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Color assessment of human skin is an important index both in dermatology and in cosmetology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Skin color measured in 407 Chinese women selected from four different cities in China is reported in the 1976 Commission International de L'eclairage (CIE)-color space, according to the skin color typing method proposed by Chardon et al. in 1991. The skin color of buttocks and hands, which represent sun unexposed and exposed sites, respectively, were measured with a Minolta 2500d chromameter. Individual typology angle (ITA degrees) of each volunteer was calculated based on the measured L* and b* values and her skin complexion was graded accordingly.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results show that most of the volunteers had a "light" skin color at their unexposed sites, namely grade II (65.5%), and then grade III (intermediate, 23.1%), and I (very light, 9.6%). The skin colors at exposed sites of the studied group were mainly grade III (intermediate, 45.7%), followed by grade IV (tan, 42.0%) and II (light, 7.9%). The difference among the investigated cities, the relationship between skin color and ages, and the complexion changes from unexposed site to exposed site were analyzed based on the data from the research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The authors believed that the present results might basically represent the complexion conditions of Chinese women.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, The General Hospital of Air Force, Beijing, and Zhongshan University, Guangzhou, China. lwei5811@yahoo.com.cn
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xuemin
authors.forename: Lai
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zhang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ping
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yanyu
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ying
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Tian
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Wu
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002681:China; D003124:Colorimetry / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000528:radiation effects; D014466:Ultraviolet Rays; D014505:Urban Population