A Cross-Sectional Assessment of Quantitative Epidermal Melanin and Erythema Indices among North Indians

BACKGROUND: Remarkable diversity of skin tones among Indians ranging from pale pinkish to dark brown appears to be an ideal choice for the assessment of skin pigment variation. AIM: The present study was designed to assess the variation observed in melanin and erythema indices among north Indians. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Skin reflectance data (n = 574) was collected from six diverse populations of north India using DermaSpectrometer (DSM II ColorMeter) followed by statistical analysis to investigate the impact of geographical location and gender on constitutive skin pigmentation. RESULTS: The melanin index (MI) varied between 17.93 and 56.92 (Mean (M) = 35.80 ± 6.26) whereas the erythema index (EI) varied between 4.92 and 18.82 (M = 10.48 ± 2.68). MI and EI of females were found to be significantly lower than males (P < 0.001). Geographical location exhibited a significant association with MI and EI (P < 0.001). Furthermore, we have noted a positive correlation between MI and EI (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The study has refined our understanding of skin pigmentation variation among north Indians in terms of significant association with geographical location {MI: F ((5,568)) = 31.07, P < 0.001; EI: F ((5,568)) = 73.37, P < 0.001} and gender {MI: t ((386)) = −4.06, P < 0.001; EI: t ((386)) = −11.96, P < 0.001} and rendered opportunities for further studies.