Solar ultraviolet protection provided by human head hair

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Author(s)
V. Parisi, Alfio
Smith, Don
Schouten, Peter
J. Turnbull, David
Griffith University Author(s)
Year published
2009
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The solar erythemal UV irradiances through human hair and the protection from UV provided by human head hair have been investigated for a solar zenith angle (SZA) range of 17-51ࠦor the conditions of a head upright in full sun, a head upright in shade and a head in full sun tilted toward the sun. The two hair lengths investigated were 49.1 ᠷ.1 mm for the short type and 109.5 ᠵ.5 mm for the long type. For the head upright in full sun, the irradiances through the hair ranged from 0.75 to 1.4 SED h-1 for SZA <25ࠡnd <0.6 SED h-1 in shade. The ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) ranged from approximately 5 to 17 in full sun, with ...
View more >The solar erythemal UV irradiances through human hair and the protection from UV provided by human head hair have been investigated for a solar zenith angle (SZA) range of 17-51ࠦor the conditions of a head upright in full sun, a head upright in shade and a head in full sun tilted toward the sun. The two hair lengths investigated were 49.1 ᠷ.1 mm for the short type and 109.5 ᠵ.5 mm for the long type. For the head upright in full sun, the irradiances through the hair ranged from 0.75 to 1.4 SED h-1 for SZA <25ࠡnd <0.6 SED h-1 in shade. The ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) ranged from approximately 5 to 17 in full sun, with the UPF increasing with higher SZA. The longer hair provided a lower UPF than the shorter hair and for the head oriented toward the sun, there was a marginally lower UPF than for the upright head. This research shows that the UV exposure limits to the scalp through hair can be exceeded within short timeframes and provides important information to assist employers to comply with Workplace Health and Safety legislation.
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View more >The solar erythemal UV irradiances through human hair and the protection from UV provided by human head hair have been investigated for a solar zenith angle (SZA) range of 17-51ࠦor the conditions of a head upright in full sun, a head upright in shade and a head in full sun tilted toward the sun. The two hair lengths investigated were 49.1 ᠷ.1 mm for the short type and 109.5 ᠵ.5 mm for the long type. For the head upright in full sun, the irradiances through the hair ranged from 0.75 to 1.4 SED h-1 for SZA <25ࠡnd <0.6 SED h-1 in shade. The ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) ranged from approximately 5 to 17 in full sun, with the UPF increasing with higher SZA. The longer hair provided a lower UPF than the shorter hair and for the head oriented toward the sun, there was a marginally lower UPF than for the upright head. This research shows that the UV exposure limits to the scalp through hair can be exceeded within short timeframes and provides important information to assist employers to comply with Workplace Health and Safety legislation.
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Journal Title
Photochemistry and Photobiology
Volume
85
Issue
1
Copyright Statement
Author Posting. Copyright The Authors 2009. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Photochemistry and Photobiology, Vol. 85(1), pp. 250-254, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-1097.2008.00428.x
Subject
Atmospheric Sciences not elsewhere classified
Physical Sciences
Chemical Sciences
Biological Sciences