title: Human Hair as a Natural Sun Protection Agent: A Quantitative Study.
abstract: The rising incidence of skin cancers attributable to excessive sun exposure has become a major health concern worldwide. While numerous studies have analyzed the sun protective effect of sunscreens, clothing and antioxidants, none to date have measured the photoprotective effect of hair, despite clinical evidence that individuals with balding or thinning hair are at greater risk of skin lesions that can progress to cancer, hence the recommendation to use hats or umbrellas. We analyzed the level of protection offered by hair according to hair density, thickness and color using the spectral transmittance and corrected for relative erythema effectiveness. Our results show that hair provides a barrier against both UVB and UVA radiation which is significantly increased with respect to the hair density, thickness and the presence of melanins. This is the first study to quantify sun protection factor offered by hair, namely hair ultraviolet protection factor (HUPF). We believe that hair should be recognized as an important natural sun barrier in the prevention of UV-induced skin cancers.
authors: Photobiological Dermatology Laboratory, Medical Research Centre, Department of Dermatology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, Malaga, Spain.
authors: María Victoria
authors: MV
authors: de Gálvez
authors: Photobiological Dermatology Laboratory, Medical Research Centre, Department of Dermatology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, Malaga, Spain.
authors: José
authors: J
authors: Aguilera
authors: Universitary Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, University of Málaga, Malaga, Spain.
authors: Jean-Luc
authors: JL
authors: Bernabó
authors: Photobiological Dermatology Laboratory, Medical Research Centre, Department of Dermatology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, Malaga, Spain.
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Sánchez-Roldán
authors: Photobiological Dermatology Laboratory, Medical Research Centre, Department of Dermatology and Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Málaga, Malaga, Spain.|Universitary Hospital Virgen de la Victoria, University of Málaga, Malaga, Spain.
authors: Enrique
authors: E
authors: Herrera-Ceballos
mesh_terms: D006197:Hair; D006801:Humans; D013473:Sunscreening Agents
chemical_list: D013473:Sunscreening Agents