Estimation of the spectral absorption of light by components of human skin

The spectra of the absorption coefficients of external radiation by basic chromophores of human skin, such as melanin, basic tissue, and blood (including oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin), are studied in the wavelength range of 300–1000 nm. For estimates, analytical methods of the theory of light transfer are used, which take into account the multilayer structure of a biological tissue, multiple light scattering in a medium, and multiple rereflections of radiation between layers. The calculated spectra are compared with the wavelength dependences of the absorption indices of these components available from the literature. It is shown that the spectral behaviors of the coefficients and indices of absorption strongly differ, which is related to the selectivity of the optical properties of a biological tissue. The possibilities of predicting the absorption coefficients of the skin components from the absorption coefficient of the entire skin measured under conditions of variation of its biophysical parameters (the volume concentrations of melanin and blood vessels) over a wide range are evaluated.