A revised method to predict skin’s thermal resistance

Human body can adjust heat loss by vasoconstriction, vasodilatation, and other methods. The purpose of this research is to investigate whether the thermal resistance of skin reflects vasoconstriction and vasodilatation. For this aim, the ambient temperature was controlled as 18.1, 21.6, 24.9, 27, and 30.5 °C, respectively. In each temperature, the skin temperature and heat flux in the forearm were recorded. Based on tested data, the thermal resistance was calculated by a common method. The results showed that the thermal resistance at low temperature was less than that at high temperature, which was contrary to the rule of vasoconstriction and vasodilatation. So a new formula for thermal resistance was presented based on skin diffusion, sweat evaporation, and mass transformation. The results showed that the new method could predict vasoconstriction and vasodilatation. The revised equation is a useful index for physiological thermoregulation.