Absorption spectra of human skin in vivo in the ultraviolet wavelength range measured by optoacoustics.

Knowledge of the optical properties of human skin in the ultraviolet range is fundamental for photobiologic research. However, optical properties of human skin in the ultraviolet spectral range have so far mainly been measured ex vivo. We have determined the absorption spectra of human skin in vivo in the wavelength range from 290 to 341 nm in 3 nm steps using laser optoacoustics. In this technique, optical properties are derived from the pressure profile generated by absorbed light energy in the sample. In a study on 20 subjects belonging to phototypes I-IV, we studied the optical properties at the volar and dorsal aspect of the forearm as well as on the thenar. Analysis of the measured absorption spectra shows that comparable skin areas-like different sides of the forearm-have qualitatively similar optical characteristics. Still, the optical properties may vary substantially within the same area, probably due to the skin structure and inhomogeneities. Comparison of the spectra from different skin sites indicates that the spectral characteristics of the stratum corneum and its chromophores play an important role for the optical properties of human skin in vivo in the ultraviolet B range.