Reflectance spectrophotometric quantification of skin colour changes induced by topical corticosteroid preparations

SUMMARY Reflectance spectrophotometry was used to observe the degree of vasoconstriction induced by topically applied corticosteroids. The average relative blanching effectiveness of the corticosteroid preparations as determined by this technique was the same as that found by other workers using subjective assessments. Reflectance spectrophotometry can be utilized to quantify the degree of vasoconstriction produced by local corticosteroids applied to the skin and is particularly suitable for measuring the response of individual subjects.