Determination of reflectance spectra model of skin phototypes V

In dermatology, skin is assessed for its response to UV light and is categorised under the Fitzpatrick skin type (FST). The FST is commonly applied as a predictor of skin cancer. The FST classification however is subjective. To enable an objective assessment, a pattern model of skin colour taken from normal subjects is required. In this paper, a model for skin phototype (SPT) V is developed and presented. We conducted an observational study involving 41 participants with FST V. The study analysed the reflectance spectra of facultative skin and constitutive skin which was captured using spectrophotometer and multispectral camera. Using piecewise linear regression, we modelled the reflectance spectra over different intervals of wavelength ranging from 430nm to 740nm. It is found that the modelled reflectance achieved a good fit (R-squared >0.995) with the measured reflectance spectra of the 82 skin samples obtained in the study. The proposed method offers an objective determination of skin type SPT V.