Skin detection sensor

A device for detecting the presence of human skin including an illuminator source for providing a first IR band and a second IR band. The first IR band is capable of being reflected from skin and the second IR band is capable of being absorbed by skin. A detector receives the first and second IR band after the bands have contacted the skin and provides a signal indicating the presence or absence of each of the first and second IR bands. A processing unit processes the signal and indicates the presence of skin when the first IR band is present and the second IR band is absent. The preferred first IR band is about 0.8 to about 1.4 mum and the second IR band is about 1.4 to about 2.2 mum. Preferably one illuminator interacts with two detectors, one for each of the two IR bands.