Fitzpatrick Skin Type

Fitzpatrick Skin Type

The Fitzpatrick skin phototype is a commonly used system to describe a person’s skin type in terms of response to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) exposure. It was developed in 1975 by American dermatologist Thomas B. Fitzpatrick.

Your Fitzpatrick skin type score can help in determining the correct settings for laser therapy (such as laser hair removal) and assess your skin cancer risk in terms of UV exposure times and potential skin effects.

This can be important when embarking upon a course of sunbed treatments or when sunbathing in strong sunlight – especially when holidaying in a hotter country. Knowing your skin type can assist in understanding exposure time, helping to mitigate the risk of burning and therefore unintentional damage to the dermis.

We often think that we know what’s going on with our own skin – whether we perceive that we “don’t burn” when sunbathing or perhaps that our skin is so sensitive that we shouldn’t have any sun exposure at all. We’ve all done it, of course…spending all day by the pool…or taking too many minutes on the sunbed, assuming that our skin will be fine.

At the other end of the spectrum, not getting enough sun exposure can have equally undesirable consequences – impacting our Vitamin D production and “feel good” hormone production. Lack of sunlight in our day to day lives, especially in the morning, can also affect our circadian rhythm.

Sun exposure is a balance between getting a healthy amount and overdoing it to the detriment of your health.

Scoring our skin according to the tables below can offer a more accurate assessment of our skin type and provide assistance with knowing more confidently how our skin might cope with varing levels of UV exposure.

The Fitzpatrick Skin Type Chart information below is an invaluable resource when it comes to skin health. Check out your score!

What is your Fitzpatrick Skin Type score?

Score = genetic + sensitivity + intentional exposure = skin type