Fitzpatrick scale

The Fitzpatrick scale (pronounced: fitz-pat-rick scale) is a numerical classification schema for human skin color. It was developed in 1975 by Harvard Medical School dermatologist, Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, as a way to estimate the response of different types of skin to ultraviolet (UV) light. It remains a recognized tool for dermatological research into human skin pigmentation.

Etymology

The Fitzpatrick scale is named after its inventor, Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, a prominent dermatologist at Harvard Medical School. Fitzpatrick developed the scale based on a person's skin color and its reaction to sun exposure.

Classification

The Fitzpatrick scale ranges from type I (lightest skin) to type VI (darkest skin). It is used by dermatologists, aestheticians, and scientists to determine the risk of sunburn and skin cancer in individuals.

Type I (internal link): Always burns, never tans (pale white; blond or red hair; blue eyes; freckles).
Type II (internal link): Usually burns, tans minimally (white; fair; blond or red hair; blue, green, or hazel eyes).
Type III (internal link): Sometimes mild burn, tans uniformly (cream white; fair with any hair or eye color).
Type IV (internal link): Burns minimally, always tans well (moderate brown).
Type V (internal link): Very rarely burns, tans very easily (dark brown).
Type VI (internal link): Never burns (deeply pigmented dark brown to darkest brown).

Related Terms

Melanin: The pigment that gives human skin, hair, and eyes their color. Dark-skinned people have more melanin in their skin than light-skinned people.
Sunburn: A form of radiation burn that affects living tissue, such as skin, that results from an overexposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation, commonly from the sun.
Skin cancer: The abnormal growth of skin cells most often develops on skin exposed to the sun.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Fitzpatrick scale
Wikipedia's article - Fitzpatrick scale

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Fitzpatrick scale