Infrared thermography for applied assessment of short-term facial occlusion

Short-term facial occlusion represents a recurring physical boundary condition in everyday and occupational environments, associated with local restriction of heat and mass exchange at the facial surface. In this study, infrared thermographic imaging was applied to assess facial thermal behaviour under short-term occlusion conditions in a controlled experimental setting. Facial skin temperature was recorded at four stages of a standardised protocol using multiple textile-based occluding samples with different structural characteristics. Spatial and temporal temperature distributions were studied using image-based analysis to characterise heat accumulation patterns and their evolution during occlusion and subsequent removal. The application of a fixed reference temperature level enabled rapid visual identification of regions with elevated thermal load and facilitated comparison between individuals under identical conditions. The results suggest the practical applicability of infrared thermographic imaging as a non-contact experimental measurement method for image-based, spatially resolved assessment of facial thermal behaviour under а short-term occlusion scenario.