Objective measurement and comparison of human facial skin color in East Asian females.

Abstract

Skin color is an important physiological index of human skin that has essential significance in cosmetology and dermatological diagnoses and aesthetics, especially in East Asian culture, where the beauty standard is the whiter the skin, the more beautiful a person is. However, there has been a lack of objective comparisons of facial skin color in East Asian females. Skin color at the cheek site was measured in 445 healthy females, including 362 Chinese women in Beijing and 83 Japanese women in Tokyo, all aged 18-50years. The parameters consisted of L* , a* , b* , individual typology angle (ITA°), and hue angle and were determined using noninvasive skin measurement instruments. The skin color categories in East Asians ranged from very light (I) to brown (V), and the dark (VI) category was not observed; the main categories were light (II), intermediate (III), and tan (IV). The facial skin color of Chinese individuals was brighter, more reddish, and less yellowish than that of Japanese individuals. With age, L* values decreased, and a* values and hue angle increased in East Asians with significant differences. Chinese women showed the same differences as Japanese women for all parameters in all age groups. This study provides objective skin color measurements and examines significant differences with respect to geographic location and age.