Your Skin Type
One of the important parameters for the success of your treatment at Age Defy is the correct typing of your skin. Skin type is often categorized according to the Fitzpatrick skin type scale which ranges from very fair (skin type I) to very dark (skin type VI). Fair-skinned individuals who sunburn easily are at a particularly high risk for developing skin cancer. People with skin of color are better protected against skin cancer and premature wrinkling from sun exposure. Regardless of your skin type, remember to use a good broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with at least a 15 SPF (such as Revercel’s® Oil Free Sun Defense Lotion daily.
Your skin type is determined genetically. Skin color is determined by cells called melanocytes. All races have the same number of these cells. Melanosomes are structures in the melanocytes that produce the pigment melanin. There are more and larger melanosomes in darker-skin melanocytes than in those of lighter skin. The way your skin reacts to sun exposure is an important factor in correctly assessing your skin type. Recent tanning (sun bathing, artificial tanning or tanning creams) has a major impact on the evaluation of your skin color. Take the quiz below to help us determine your skin type. Add up the total of your points and reference the skin type based on your point total.
| Genetic Disposition | |
|---|---|
| Question: | Score: |
| 1. What are the color of your eyes? | |
| Light blue, gray or green | 0 |
| Blue, gray or green | 1 |
| Blue | 2 |
| Dark brown | 3 |
| Brownish black | 4 |
| 2. What is the natural color of your hair? | |
| Sandy red | 0 |
| Blond | 1 |
| Chestnut/dark blond | 2 |
| Dark brown | 3 |
| Black | 4 |
| 3. What is the color of your skin (non-exposed areas)? | |
| Reddish | 0 |
| Very pale | 1 |
| Pale with beige tint | 2 |
| Light brown | 3 |
| Dark brown | 4 |
| 4. Do you have freckles on unexposed areas? | |
| Many | 0 |
| Several | 1 |
| Few | 2 |
| Incidental | 3 |
| None | 4 |
| Reaction to Sun Exposure | |
|---|---|
| Question: | Score: |
| 1. What happens when you stay in the sun too long? | |
| Painful redness, blistering, peeling | 0 |
| Blistering followed by peeling | 1 |
| Burns sometimes followed by peeling | 2 |
| Rare burns | 3 |
| Never had burns | 4 |
| 2. To what degree do you turn brown? | |
| Hardly or not at all | 0 |
| Light color tan | 1 |
| Reasonable tan | 2 |
| Tan very easily | 3 |
| Turn dark brown quickly | 4 |
| 3. Do you turn brown within several hours after sun exposure? | |
| Never | 0 |
| Seldom | 1 |
| Sometimes | 2 |
| Often | 3 |
| Always | 4 |
| 4. How does your face react to the sun? | |
| Very sensitive | 0 |
| Sensitive | 1 |
| Normal | 2 |
| Very resistant | 3 |
| Never had a problem | 4 |
| Tanning Habits | |
|---|---|
| Question: | Score: |
| 1. When did you last expose your body to sun (or artificial sunlamp/tanning cream)? | |
| More than 3 months ago | 0 |
| 2-3 months ago | 1 |
| 1-2 months ago | 2 |
| Less than a month ago | 3 |
| Less than two weeks ago | 4 |
| 1. Did you treat the area to be treated to the sun? | |
| Never | 0 |
| Hardly ever | 1 |
| Sometimes | 2 |
| Often | 3 |
| Always | 4 |
Add up the total scores for each of the three sections for your Skin Type Score.
| Skin Type Score | Fitzpatrick Skin Type |
|---|---|
| 0-7 | I |
| 8-16 | II |
| 17-25 | III |
| 26-30 | IV |
| over 30 | V-VI |
TYPE I:
Highly sensitive, always burns, never tans.
Example: Red hair with freckles
TYPE II:
Very sun sensitive, burns easily, tans minimally.
Example: Fair skinned, fair haired Caucasians
TYPE III:
Sun sensitive skin, sometimes burns, slowly tans to light brown.
Example: Darker Caucasians
TYPE IV:
Minimally sun sensitive, burns minimally, always tans to moderate brown.
Example: Mediterranian type Caucasians
TYPE V:
Sun insensitive skin, rarely burns, tans well.
Example: Some Hispanics, some Blacks
TYPE VI:
Sun insensitive, never burns, deeply pigmented.
Example: Darker Blacks
