Did You Know? Fitzpatrick Skin Types are not only about how much melanin is in your skin right now: it's very much about how your skin reacts.
Some clients may feel that their Fitzpatrick Skin Type somehow changes depending on how tanned they are at the moment of analysis, or their ethnicity and genetic makeup. However, Fitzpatrick Skin Type is much more about how your skin reacts to certain stimulus e.g. sun or (micro) injury.
Use the scoring matrix and guide below to determine your own Fitzpatrick Skin Type.
Disclaimer: The scoring matrix and guide on this website is intended for entertainment purposes only, and does not constitute or replace medical advice. To better understand your own skin type, please consult with your doctor or speak with your skincare provider in a consultation.
| Category | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genetic (Physical Traits) | |||||
| Eye Colour | Light blue, grey, green | Blue, grey, or green | Blue | Dark brown | Brownish black |
| Natural Hair Colour | Sandy red | Blonde | Chestnut / dark blonde | Dark brown | Black |
| Skin Colour (unexposed areas) | Reddish | Very pale | Pale with beige tint | Light brown | Dark brown |
| Freckles | Many | Several | Few | Incidental | None |
| Sensitivity (Reaction to Sun Exposure) | |||||
| What happens when you stay in the sun too long? | Painful redness, blistering, peeling | Blistering followed by peeling | Burns sometimes followed by peeling | Rare burns | Never had burns |
| To what degree do you turn brown? | Hardly or not at all | Light colour tan | Reasonable tan | Tan very easily | Turn dark brown quickly |
| Do you turn brown within several hours of sun exposure? | Never | Seldom | Sometimes | Often | Always |
| How does your face react to the sun? | Very sensitive | Sensitive | Normal | Very resistant | Never had a problem |
| Intentional Exposure (Tanning Habits) | |||||
| When did you last expose your body to the sun (or tanning bed)? | More than 3 months ago | 2-3 months ago | 1-2 months ago | Less than a month ago | Less than 2 weeks ago |
| Did you expose the area to be treated to the sun? | Never | Hardly ever | Sometimes | Often | Always |
Add up your score from each row to determine your Fitzpatrick Skin Type below.
Always burns, never tans. Highly sun-sensitive skin. Often has red or blonde hair, blue or green eyes, and freckles.
Example: Northern European, Scandinavian
Burns easily, tans minimally. Sun-sensitive skin. Typically has light hair and light eyes.
Example: Northern European, Caucasian
Sometimes burns, gradually tans to olive. Darker Caucasian skin. May have any hair or eye colour.
Example: Southern European, Mediterranean
Rarely burns, tans with ease to a moderate brown. Minimally sun-sensitive skin. Typically has dark hair and dark eyes.
Example: Hispanic, Asian, Mediterranean
Very rarely burns, tans very easily. Sun-insensitive skin. Dark brown skin, hair, and eyes.
Example: East Indian, African, Hispanic
Never burns, deeply pigmented. Sun-insensitive skin. Very dark brown to black skin, hair, and eyes.
Example: African, Aboriginal Australian
Apply to become a client and access a consultation with one of our trained providers.
Apply to Be A Client and Access a ConsultationHave you ever bought a new tinted sunscreen only to realize that it doesn't suit your natural skin colour and undertone? Have you ever purchased that skincare collection that failed to give you results as promised?
Finding your skin type is one of the first steps to understanding and working with your skin. The most common classification model is the Fitzpatrick Skin Type model. This model was developed in 1975 by Thomas B. Fitzpatrick. The Fitzpatrick scale's original purpose was to estimate the response of different skin types to ultraviolet light to administer light therapy for skin conditions namely Eczema, Psoriasis, Vitiligo, and others. The Fitzpatrick Skin Type model is still widely used for dermatological research into human skin pigmentation.
Determining your skin colour can help your PMU Artist choose the right permanent makeup pigments and assist your skincare specialist in creating a skincare plan. Locating your skin type can sometimes be done using resources like the chart above, but it is better to consult with a trained physician or professional.
When factoring in your skin type, think about all of the attributes that make up you. Your eyes and hair colour can tell you more about your genetic makeup than just your skin pigmentation. Our hair and eye colour provide clues into our genetic composition, and these are important.
Maintaining excellent skin health is important, and it's best to discuss any skin concerns with a physician/dermatologist. Before using any self-prescribed cosmetic or beauty treatments, be sure to review your concerns and skin care plan with a qualified professional.
Apply to Be A Client and Access a ConsultationMaintaining excellent skin health is important, and it's best to discuss any skin concerns with a physician/dermatologist. Before using any self-prescribed cosmetic or beauty treatments, be sure to review your concerns and skin care plan with a qualified professional.
Stats Canada has shown an 18% increase in those who identify as visible minorities between the 2016 and 2019 census period. As racial and ethnic distinctions continue to be blurred, attempts to include all non-white skin types under the banner of skin of colour becomes increasingly problematic.
The full number of skin colours is really unknown, probably infinite, and impossible to catalogue without reaching every single human in the world population. As shown in the work of Brazilian artist Angelica Dass, her "Humanae" project shows increasingly distinct skin colour types. Due to constant demographic changes and the limits of the Fitzpatrick Skin Type ("FST") model, we must account for more skin types.
Angelica's page has identified 250 different Pantones. This is increasingly important for the safe and effective delivery of skincare, and cosmetic products and treatments.
As a pigmentation and skincare service provider, our mind is always on delivering the correct product or service to our clients, and the (mis)use of FST may fail to adequately service clients.
MDEdge reports in their survey that between 1/3 and half of academic dermatologists and dermatologist trainees rely on FST to describe skin colour.
The incorrect use of FST may occur more often in those professionals who do not themselves identify as skin of colour.
Inspired by the work of artist Angelica Dass, who rethinks the concept of race by showing the diversity of human skin colours in her global photographic mosaic. © Angelica Dass | Humanae Work in Progress
Within the Permanent Makeup industry, new artists were warned by trainers against practicing cosmetic tattoo procedures on Fitzpatrick 4-6 types because of the risk of hyperpigmentation, risk of increased trauma, and difficulty in choosing pigment colours. This is all changing.
Through ongoing research and travel, we have coordinated and collected information from artists around the world who have achieved great success in working in all skin types. With the change in Pantone taxonomy, we can find pigmentation and skincare solutions for individuals of all colour and form a plan that suits unique skin types, even those not accounted for within the FST model.
The dilemma of classifying individuals with non-white skin or skin of colour is not easily answered. Other classification models have been proposed to improve the sensitivity and specificity of identifying patients with skin of colour. Refining the Fitzpatrick Skin Type classification has been one approach. Using terms like skin irritation, tenderness, itching, or skin becoming darker from sun exposure rather than painful burning or tanning may result in better identification. (Sharma VK, Gupta V, Jangid BL, et al. Modification of the Fitzpatrick system of skin phototype classification for the Indian population, and its correlation with narrowband diffuse reflectance spectrophotometry. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2018;43:274-280.)
| Classification System | Method of Classification | Measurement and Utilization in Practice |
|---|---|---|
| Fitzpatrick skin phototype1 | Subjective questionnaire | Describes tendency to burn or tan in response to UV exposure; widely used in clinical trials and prescreening of patients for laser and energy-based treatments |
| Baumann skin type indicator2 | Subjective questionnaire | Identifies 16 skin types based on oily vs dry, sensitive vs resistant, pigmented vs nonpigmented, and wrinkled vs tight skin parameters |
| Roberts skin type classification system3 | Subjective visual and photographic grading | Grading scale from 1 to 5 for hyperpigmentation, photoaging, and scarring categories |
| Fanous classification of skin colour4 | Subjective visual comparison | Patients' skin compared to 5 shades of brown or pink in Caucasian and non-Caucasian categories |
| Willis and Earles5 | Subjective visual comparison | Categories of light, medium, and dark for African American skin; used in early studies of skin colour variability |
| Taylor Hyperpigmentation Scale6 | Subjective visual comparison | 15 skin colour cards arranged in 5 bands (1-5) from light to dark, each with 3 variations (A, B, C); specifically developed for skin of colour |
| Lancer Ethnicity Scale7 | Subjective visual and questionnaire | Categories ranging from Caucasoid to African for risk stratification prior to resurfacing procedures |
| Von Luschan chromatic scale8 | Subjective visual comparison | 36 opaque glass tiles compared to subject's inner arm skin colour; one of the oldest skin colour classification tools |
| Munsell colour system9 | Subjective visual comparison | 3-dimensional colour space system measuring hue, value, and chroma; used in soil science and historically in skin colour research |
| Spectrophotometry / colorimetry10 | Objective instrumental measurement | L*a*b* colour space quantification of skin colour; provides objective data but limited by cost and accessibility in clinical settings |
| Mexameter11 | Objective instrumental measurement | Narrow-band reflectance spectrophotometer measuring melanin index and erythema index; commonly used in dermatological research |
| Melanin index (MI)12 | Objective instrumental measurement | Quantitative measurement of melanin content based on spectrophotometric absorption; used in clinical studies and product efficacy testing |
References: 1 Fitzpatrick TB, 1988. 2 Baumann L, 2006. 3 Roberts WE, 2009. 4 Fanous N, 2003. 5 Willis I, Earles AN, 2005. 6 Taylor SC et al., 2006. 7 Lancer HA, 1998. 8 Von Luschan F, 1897. 9 Munsell AH, 1905. 10 CIE L*a*b* colorimetry. 11 Courage+Khazaka, Mexameter MX18. 12 Diffey BL et al., 1984.
Offering skincare and pigmentation solutions requires a unique and customized approach. This website aims to support all client's and visitors' desires to match them with products and services according to their skin type classification. It is not meant to replace medical advice, and this project is ongoing.
Apply to Be A Client and Access a ConsultationIVONNE, Inc. is a locally owned boutique cosmetic clinic focused on the research, development, and implementation of effective skincare, permanent makeup, and laser treatments. Founded in 2017 IVONNE focuses on providing clinical treatments using only the most advanced products and technologies. IVONNE is one of the first technology-based, end-to-end permanent makeup and skincare clinics with a focus on skin health, pigmentation, and laser removal processes. IVONNE's delivery of services is focused on a curated collection of treatments and products, through its close partnerships with regulatory experts, medical suppliers, and cosmetic manufacturers. IVONNE has built what it believes to be the next generation in cosmetic services, encompassing state-of-the-art technology and use of medical-grade skincare formulations.
