Professional Aesthetics Series: Understanding the Six Fitzpatrick Skin Types

The six Fitzpatrick Skin Types utilize several factors including ethnicity and heritage, hair color and eye color to differentiate between people and their types of skin.

Fitzpatrick  Type  I is the very fair skinned  person who generally has blond or red hair. Their eyes will be light blue or green and they will burn within ten to fifteen minutes of exposure to the sun when not using sun screen.  The Irish, English and Scottish peoples are good examples of Type I.

Fitzpatrick Type II is the fair skinned person with blond hair, often called dishwater blond.  This person will have blue or green eyes and may stand a longer period of sun exposure before burning, perhaps up to 40 minutes.  Northern Europeans such as the Swedish, Finish and Norwegians are good examples of Type II.

Fitzpatrick Type III is the Caucasian who tans more easily than the first two types have fewer freckles.  They may have blond hair or it might be light or medium brown.  Their eyes will be dark blue, green or brown, and they can stand 60 or 70 minutes in the sun before they begin to burn.  Good examples of Type III are Germans, the French and those from the north of Italy.

Fitzpatrick Type IV people generally have  brown skin and  tan easily usually without freckles. This person can be in the sun without sun screen and they rarely burn. Their hair color is usually brown to dark brown and their eyes are brown. Type IV examples include  Greeks, Southern Italians, some Asians and some Hispanics.

Fitzpatrick Type V people are  dark brown in skin color and they tan easily.  They do not often have freckles. The Type V  can be in the sun without a sun blocker and will not burn.  Their hair will be  brown or black and they will have brown eyes.  Type V includes some Asians, some Hispanics, some Africans, Middle Easterners and Indians.

Fitzpatrick Type VI are black in skin color, tan easily, do not get freckles and have very deep pigmentation.  Their hair is black and the eyes are either brown or black.  Africans are examples of Type VI.

Of course, while most people fit into one or another of the six Fitzgerald Skin Types, there are individual differences in human beings, so the Fitzgerald scale should be used as a guide and a tool, keeping in mind that it still requires interpretation with each individual. Remember also that some clients will simply not fit into a category easily, so using your own knowledge and instincts will be another way of assisting your clients.

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