# Heat Absorbtion Through Skin **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 26, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242 "2006-09-26T18:41:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RoniaBorkason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RoniaBorkason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoniaBorkason)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2006, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242/1 "2006-09-26T18:41:12Z")
I have always been taught that wearing dark colored clothing (in the sunshine) will keep me warmer than light colored clothing. If true (I can’t find any scientific proof right this second, its just something I ‘know’), would the same principle hold true for skin tone? Does ‘dark’ skin give a greater increase body temperature than ‘light’ skin would (in the sunshine)? Is this idea even testable? My husband laughs at my curiosity, but this question has been bugging me for ages. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242/2 "2006-09-27T01:10:55Z")
There are some good studies out there concerning this. One of the reasons for the various skin colors have to do with the necessity to adapt to different climates. Your question is about whether blacks/asians/whites/etc. have different body temperatures, correct? From [Opinion Journal](http://www.opinionjournal.com/la/?id=110003747) : > [@](#): > > “If the relative fitness levels are similar, those with more skin surface area to overall body mass–those with relatively longer limbs–are more heat efficient. It’s easier to sweat, dissipate heat and keep core body temperature steady.” > > Now, skin color alone is not the explanation for heat tolerance, as Mr. Baker implied. And Hispanics descended from Europeans are no more heat-tolerant than other whites. But those of African ancestry do have an advantage. My WAG is no, but I am sure some people here would be able to say differently if they gave your thread a chance. ---
**Author:** ![RoniaBorkason](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9dc877/32.png) [@RoniaBorkason](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RoniaBorkason)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 2:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242/3 "2006-09-27T02:14:15Z")
Yes, Exactly! Would the persons of different shades feel the difference in body temp? As a semi-corollary (sorry, maybe this should be a new OP) is fatter better to retain heat (more insulation vs. greater body surface area)? Thank you so much **FormerMarineGuy** for answering, this is my very first OP. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![FormerMarineGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/65b543/32.png) [@FormerMarineGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FormerMarineGuy)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242/4 "2006-09-27T12:10:07Z")
[QUOTE=RoniaBorkason] Thank you so much **FormerMarineGuy** for answering, this is my very first OP. 🙂 [/QUOTE] You are quite welcome. However, I am not sure how much help I was. But to answer your question about fatter people retaining more heat, I don’t believe that is true by any means and was probably covered in previous threads. Once again, maybe someone will come along with more knowledge and help you out. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242/5 "2006-09-27T17:11:02Z")
In a general sense, an object’s color will make a difference in how much heat it absorbs from the environment. But at the kind of temperatures we can survive, what’s most important isn’t the visible color, but the “color” in the infrared, which may or may not be correlated with the visible color (an object which is visible light-colored might be dark in the infrared, and vice-versa). I’m not sure, but I think that all humans are about the same color in the infrared, where it counts. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2006, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242/6 "2006-09-27T17:53:24Z")
[QUOTE=Chronos] But at the kind of temperatures we can survive, what’s most important isn’t the visible color, but the “color” in the infrared, which may or may not be correlated with the visible color … [/QUOTE] I have to disagree . Heat loss through infrared radiation is minor compared to heat loss by convection and evaporation. So emissivity (“color” in the infrared) shouldn’t make much of a difference. On the other hand, absorption of direct sunlight _is_ significant. And here, what matters is the color in visible light, not infrared. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242/7 "2006-09-28T00:04:25Z")
Didn’t we cover this recently with black clothing worn by desert people? IIRC the verdict was that loose white clothing was good, but if there was any wind, loose black clothing was better. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242/8 "2006-09-28T00:06:52Z")
Bah, Post too soon. So the corollory would be that darker skin will actually keep you cooler, as long as there’s a breeze. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2006, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/heat-absorbtion-through-skin/374242/9 "2006-09-28T04:56:05Z")
[QUOTE=Quartz] Didn’t we cover this recently with black clothing worn by desert people? [/QUOTE] [The Master’s article](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mblackcool.html) addresses this question. However the effect of skin color is very different. When you are wearing clothing, heat can be absorbed _and released_ by the outer layer before it gets to your body (skin). But if your bare skin is exposed to sunlight, all the heat absorbed by the skin reaches the, er, skin. If the skin is exposed to direct sunlight, I’m pretty sure dark color skin absorbs more heat than light color skin and, everything else being equal, reach a higher temperature. I don’t know if the difference is big enough to be noticeable and/or easily measurable, but it should be there.