Proposed shade guide for human facial skin and lip: a pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Currently, no commercially available facial shade guide exists in the United States for the fabrication of facial prostheses.


OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to measure facial skin and lip color in a human population sample stratified by age, gender, and race. Clustering analysis was used to determine optimal color coordinates for a proposed facial shade guide.


METHODS
Participants (n=119) were recruited from 4 racial/ethnic groups, 5 age groups, and both genders. Reflectance measurements of participants' noses and lower lips were made by using a spectroradiometer and xenon arc lamp with a 45/0 optical configuration. Repeated measures ANOVA (α=.05), to identify skin and lip color differences, resulting from race, age, gender, and location, and a hierarchical clustering analysis, to identify clusters of skin colors) were used.


RESULTS
Significant contributors to L*a*b* facial color were race and facial location (P<.01). b* affected all factors (P<.05). Age affected only b* (P<.001), while gender affected only L* (P<.05) and b* (P<.05). Analyses identified 5 clusters of skin color.


CONCLUSIONS
The study showed that skin color caused by age and gender primarily occurred within the yellow-blue axis. A significant lightness difference between gender groups was also found. Clustering analysis identified 5 distinct skin shade tabs.
Maxillofacial Prosthodontics, Department of Prosthodontics, Creighton University School of Dentistry, Omaha, NE 68178, USA. alvingwee@gmail.com
Alvin G
AG
Wee
Mark W
MW
Beatty
David J
DJ
Gozalo-Diaz
Seungyee
S
Kim-Pusateri
David B
DB
Marx
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D044466:Asian People; D044383:Black People; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D003116:Color; D005145:Face / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008046:Lip / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009666:Nose / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D017797:Prosthesis Coloring / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011474:Prosthesis Design / Q000295:instrumentation*; D011874:Radiometry / Q000295:instrumentation; D012737:Sex Factors; D012880:Skin Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D044465:White People; D055815:Young Adult