Dr. Kyungah Choi delivered a poster presentation entitled, “Facial skin color variability in Korean women” at the 13th AIC Congress of International Colour Association (AIC 2017) in Jeju, Republic of Korea. The study collected standard quantified data on the skin colors of Korean women using a spectrophotometer and thereby investigated facial color variability. The study indicates that a single color cannot sufficiently represent one’s skin color. Human skin color is a very complex subject that warrants much further study, but the research findings should be of value as a basis for research into skin color and future application in dermatology, cosmetology, and reconstructive plastic surgery.

Abstract

Color assessment of human skin is an important index in scientific evaluations and has been applied widely in different fields. This study aims to collect the skin colors of Korean women using a spectrophotometer and thereby investigate the color variability across face areas. A total of 157 healthy volunteers were recruited. The seven measured sites were the forehead, nose tip, chin, cheekbone, cheek, jaw, and neck. The results showed that the CIE 1976 L*a*b* values differed significantly between the face areas. The site of lightest skin was on the jaw, whereas the darkest skin was on the forehead. Redness was highest on the chin and lowest on the neck. Yellowness was highest on the nose tip and lowest on the cheek. Next, the skin color categories based on the individual typology angle (ITA°) were reported. The central areas of face—forehead, nose tip, and chin—had a “tan” skin color, whereas the outer areas of face—cheekbone, cheek, jaw, and neck—had an “intermediate” skin color. Human skin color is a very complex subject that warrants much further study, but the research findings should be of value as a basis for future application in dermatology and cosmetology.