Axilla surface area for males and females: measured distribution

With the recent introduction of exposure-based Quantitative Risk Assessment (QRA) as an approach to the evaluation, of materials in finished consumer products that are potential dermal sensitizers, the need for robust exposure data was clearly identified. The objective of this current study is to provide a value for the axilla surface area (SA) that is statistically derived and can be used in dermal sensitization QRA for ingredients of personal care products meant for use on the axilla. The axilla surface area measured for 60 men and 60 women resulted in a median surface area for a single axilla of 64.5 cm(2) for females and 135.5 cm(2) for males. These participants were representative of the United States population in their range of heights and weights. Furthermore, combining these surface area data with measured use data from this and other studies has enabled calculations of consumer exposure to solid APDO products on a dose/unit area/day basis (9.1 mg/cm(2)/d).