Fitzpatrick Skin Type Quiz and Chart (Types I to VI)

1. What is the eye color?

2. What is the natural hair color?

3. What is the skin color where it never sees the sun?

4. Freckles on skin that never sees the sun?

5. What happens after too long in the sun?

6. How brown does the skin tan?

7. Does it turn brown within hours of sun?

8. How does the face react to the sun?

9. When was the body last in the sun or a tanning bed?

10. How often is the face exposed to the sun?

Fitzpatrick skin type

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Answer all ten questions to see the skin type and the score.

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Chart

Fitzpatrick skin type chart

The six types, the quiz score band for each, and how that skin reacts to the sun.

Fitzpatrick skin type chart with quiz score bands
Skin type	Quiz score	Sun reaction
Type I	0 to 6	Always burns, never tans
Type II	7 to 13	Usually burns, tans with difficulty
Type III	14 to 20	Sometimes burns, tans gradually
Type IV	21 to 27	Rarely burns, tans easily
Type V	28 to 34	Very rarely burns, tans very easily
Type VI	35 to 40	Never burns, deeply pigmented

Using it

Using the type in treatment planning

Before lasers and IPL. Device makers publish settings and limits by skin type. Record the type at consultation and check it against the device guide before the first pulse.

Before peels and resurfacing. Types IV to VI are more prone to dark marks after inflammation, so many providers prepare the skin and choose gentler depths. The prescriber decides the plan.

Keep it current. A tan, a holiday or a new medication can change how skin reacts. Retake the quiz when the answers to the sun questions change.

Questions

What injectors ask about this

What is the Fitzpatrick skin type scale?

A six step scale, Type I to Type VI, that sorts skin by how it reacts to the sun: how easily it burns and how easily it tans. Thomas Fitzpatrick, a Harvard dermatologist, introduced it in 1975 and widened it to six types in 1988.

How is the Fitzpatrick quiz scored?

Ten questions, each answer worth 0 to 4 points, for a total of 0 to 40. 0 to 6 is Type I, 7 to 13 Type II, 14 to 20 Type III, 21 to 27 Type IV, 28 to 34 Type V and 35 or more Type VI.

Why do med spas ask for a Fitzpatrick type?

Higher types carry more risk of burns and pigment changes with some lasers, IPL and deeper peels, so device makers set their settings and device choices by skin type. The type goes in the chart before the first treatment.

Is the Fitzpatrick type the same as skin color?

No. It is about how the skin reacts to sun, not a shade. Two people with a similar shade can land on different types, which is why the questionnaire asks about burning and tanning, not only color.

Can a tan change the result?

Yes. The last two questions ask about recent sun, so a fresh tan pushes the score up. For laser planning, take the quiz when the client has not been tanning and confirm it in person.

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