Zum Problem des Lichtschutzes der Haut¹

Relative efficiency of pigment and horny layer thickness in protecting the skin of Europeans and Africans against solar ultraviolet radiation*

“…The demonstration by Finsen (1900) that the skin of Europeans reacted to exposure to ultraviolet rays by producing pigment (tanning) and his deduction that melanin protected against these rays by absorbing them superficially appeared satisfactory until Guillaume (1926) and Miescher (1930) showed by studies on albinos and others with defective pigmentation that thickening of the stratum corneum was a much more important protective adaptation than pigmentation in white-skinned persons. Pigment has been alleged to protect against visible rays (Bauwens, 1935; Goldsmith, 1936; Guillaume, 1926), against penetrating heat rays (Bauwens, 1935;Meyer & Kirchoff, 1932) and against ultraviolet rays (Finsen, 1900;Hill, 1934;Rollier, 1927). From the point of view of thermoregulation at high environmental temperatures, a proven disadvantage of the Negro skin is that it reflects less, and therefore absorbs appreciably more (up to 36 %) of solar radiation (Heer, 1952;Martin, 1930) than the white-skinned race.…”

“…Pigment has been alleged to protect against visible rays (Bauwens, 1935;Goldsmith, 1936;Guillaume, 1926), against penetrating heat rays (Bauwens, 1935;Meyer & Kirchoff, 1932) and against ultraviolet rays (Finsen, 1900;Hill, 1934;Rollier, 1927). From the point of view of thermoregulation at high environmental temperatures, a proven disadvantage of the Negro skin is that it reflects less, and therefore absorbs appreciably more (up to 36 %) of solar radiation (Heer, 1952;Martin, 1930) than the white-skinned race.…”