title: Skin color analysis using a spectrophotometer in Asians.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To objectively describe skin color, the Commission International d'Eclairage (CIE) L*a*b* color coordinates and melanin and erythema indexes are used. However, it was difficult to understand the relationship among these parameters and to convert them into each other. We introduced a new technique to measure L*a*b* color coordinates and the melanin and erythema indexes at the same time. We analyzed the skin color of normal Asians using this method.
  
  
  METHODS
  The skin color of the forehead, cheek, upper inner arm, dorsum of hand, and anterior chest of 148 volunteers was measured using a spectrophotometer. Using a computer analysis program, L*a*b* values and the melanin and erythema indexes were presented at the same time. The averages of these data were shown according to gender, age, body parts, and correlations among the melanin and erythema indexes and L*a*b* color coordinates, and then they were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The averages of the melanin and erythema indexes of 148 participants were 1.10 +/- 0.29 and 1.29 +/- 0.38, respectively. The averages of the L*, a*, and b* values were 64.15 +/- 4.86, 8.96 +/- 2.65, and 18.34 +/- 2.39, respectively. The melanin and erythema indexes were higher in males than in females. While the correlation of the melanin index with the L* value was negative, it was positively correlated with the a* and b* values. While the erythema index showed a weak correlation with the b* value, its correlation was negative with the L* value and positive with the a* value.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our method of skin color measurement is useful. We consider the data of this study valuable basic data for the evaluation of colors of pigmental skin diseases and scars in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, Institute for Human Tissue Restoration, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 250 Seongsan-no, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea.
authors.forename: In Sik
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Yun
authors.forename: Won Jai
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Dong Kyun
authors.initials: DK
authors.lastname: Rah
authors.forename: Yong Oock
authors.initials: YO
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Be-young Yun
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Park
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003124:Colorimetry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D004890:Erythema / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000378:metabolism; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008543:Melanins