Know Your Skin Type
In the war against sunburn, tanning salons are part of the solution! Tropi Tan staff is trained to help you tan moderately and minimize your risk of getting burned.
Before sunbathing OR sun-bedding, it’s vital to determine your skin type. There are six distinct skin types; each reacts differently to sun exposure.
Does your skin burn after playing volleyball for only an hour in the afternoon sun? Or, do your friends consider you lucky because you can lounge on the beach for hours at a time with no fear of getting sunburned?
By knowing your Skin Type*, we can determine the best tanning schedule for you. Be sure to seriously consider your history when indicating your Skin Type on our Client Profile Form.
The Fitzpatrick Scale is a numerical classification schema for human skin color. It was developed in 1975 by Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, a Harvard dermatologist, as a way to estimate the response of different types of skin to ultraviolet (UV) light.
Skin Type I | Skin Type II | Skin Type III | Skin Type IV | Skin Type V | Skin Type VI |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Always Burns Easily | Always Burns Easily | Burns Moderately | Burns Minimally | Rarely Burn | Never Burns |
Never Tans | Tans Minimally | Tans Gradually | Always Tans Well | Tans Profusely | Deeply Pigmented |
White Fair Skin | White Fair Skin | White Average Caucasian | White or Light Brown Skin | Brown | Black |
Blue Eyes | Blue, Hazel, or Brown Eyes | – | Dark Eyes | East Indians or Hispanics | African & African American |
Freckles | Red or Blonde Hair | – | Dark Brown Hair | Dark Hair | Dark Hair |
Eye color
0. Light colors
1. Blue, gray or green
2. Dark
3. Brown
4. Black
Natural hair color
0. Sandy red
1. Blond
2. Chestnut or dark blond
3. Brown
4. Black
Your skin color (unexposed areas)
0. Reddish
1. Pale
2. Beige or olive
3. Brown
4. Dark brown
Freckles (unexposed areas)
0. Many
1. Several
2. Few
3. Rare
4. None
What happens if you stay in the sun too long?
0. Painful blisters, peeling
1. Mild blisters, peeling
2. Burn, mild peeling
3. Rare
4. No burning
Do you turn brown?
0. Never
1. Seldom
2. Sometimes
3. Often
4. Always
How brown do you get?
0. Never
1. Light tan
2. Medium tan
3. Dark tan
4. Deep dark
Do you turn brown?
0. Never
1. Seldom
2. Sometimes
3. Often
4. Always
How often do you tan?
0. Never
1. Seldom
2. Sometimes
3. Often
4. Always
When was your last tan?
0. +3 months ago
1. 2−3 months ago
2. 1−2 months ago
3. Weeks ago
4. Days
Score
0−6
Skin Type I
Always burns, never tans (pale white skin)
7−13
Skin Type II
Always burns easily, tans minimally (white skin)
14−20
Skin Type III
Burns moderately, tans uniformly (light brown skin)
21−27
Skin Type IV
Burns minimally, always tans well (moderate brown skin)
28−34
Skin Type V
Rarely burns, tans profusely (dark brown skin)
35+
Skin Type VI
Never burns (deeply pigmented dark brown to black skin)