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How does skin type evaluated?
Skin typing for exposure to ultraviolet light has been done for many years by the Fitzpatrick Phototype, developed by Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick of Harvard Medical School. Electrologists also use this typing for determinations of shortwave use. Now that laser use has become common, there is another scale that is used as a diagnostic tool. It has been found in laser resurfacing evaluations that the patient’s grandparents ethnicity is a factor.
| FITZPATRICK CLASSIFICATION FOR SUN-REACTIVE SKIN TYPES |
| Skin Type |
Color |
Reaction to UVA |
Reaction to Sun |
| Type I |
Caucasian;
blond or red hair, freckles, fair skin, blue eyes |
Very Sensitive |
Always burns easily, never tans; very fair skin tone |
| Type II |
Caucasian;
blond or red hair, freckles, fair skin, blue eyes or green eyes |
Very Sensitive |
Usually burns easily, tans with difficulty; fair skin tone |
| Type III |
Darker
Caucasian,
light Asian |
Sensitive |
Burns moderately, tans gradually; fair to medium skin tone |
| Type IV |
Mediterranean,
Asian, Hispanic |
Moderately Sensitive |
Rarely burns, always tans well; medium skin tone |
| Type
V |
Middle
Eastern, Latin, light-skinned black, Indian |
Minimally Sensitive |
Very rarely burns, tans very easily; olive or dark skin tone |
| Type
VI |
Dark-skinned black |
Least Sensitive |
Never burns, deeply pigmented; very dark skin tone |
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