How accurate is a Fitzpatrick self-assessment?

Good enough to be dermatology's standard intake tool, imperfect enough that studies show people commonly self-classify one type away from clinical assessment, usually darker (i.e. more sun-resistant) than they really are. Answer with your worst burn in mind, not your best tan.

Can my Fitzpatrick type change?

Your underlying type is genetic and stable. What changes is your current tan and therefore your day-to-day tolerance, which is one reason a live measurement like a photo check can be more useful than a lifetime label for deciding today's sun exposure.

What's my type if I burn then tan?

Burn-then-tan is the signature of types II–III. If the burn comes first and the tan is light, you're II; if you tan reliably after occasional burns, you're III. The full-questionnaire score settles it.

Fitzpatrick skin type quiz: work out your type in two minutes

The classic Fitzpatrick assessment is a short questionnaire about two things: your colouring (genetics) and how your skin actually behaves in the sun (history). Score yourself honestly below, add it up, and you'll land within one type of what a dermatologist's intake form would say. Prefer measurement over memory? A Sunwise photo check estimates your type from your actual skin tone in under a minute.

Part 1: your colouring

Score each row 0–4 and keep a running total. Answer for your natural colouring, untanned skin (somewhere the sun doesn't reach, like your inner upper arm).

Score	0	1	2	3	4
Eye colour	Light blue / grey / green	Blue / grey / green	Hazel / light brown	Dark brown	Brownish black
Natural hair colour	Red / light blond	Blond	Dark blond / light brown	Dark brown	Black
Untanned skin colour	Reddish / very pale	Pale	Cream to olive	Light brown	Dark brown / black
Freckles (untanned areas)	Many	Several	A few	Rare	None

Part 2: how your skin responds to sun

Score	0	1	2	3	4
Long sun exposure with no protection?	Painful blistering burn	Clear burn, then peeling	Burns, sometimes peels	Rarely burns	Never burns
Do you turn brown after sun?	Never	Seldom, and lightly	Sometimes	Often	Always, deeply
How brown do you get?	Barely at all	Light tan	Medium tan	Deep tan	Deep brown
How does your face react to sun?	Very sensitive	Sensitive	Normal	Resistant	Never a problem

Your result

Total score	Fitzpatrick type	In short
0–7	Type I: very fair	Always burns, never tans
8–16	Type II: fair	Burns easily, tans minimally
17–25	Type III: light to medium	Sometimes burns, tans gradually
26–30	Type IV: olive to tan	Rarely burns, tans easily
31+	Type V or VI	Very rarely / almost never burns

Scores above 30 split between types V and VI on skin colour: brown skin is type V, deeply pigmented brown-to-black skin is type VI. Border scores (within a point or two of a boundary) genuinely could be either type, for sun-safety purposes, use the more sensitive of the two.

The quiz's honest weakness

Self-report is the standard method and it has a known flaw: people misremember burns, flatter their tans, and answer for who they'd like to be at the beach. It's also least reliable for darker skin, where the burn/tan questions were never well designed. That's why Sunwise doesn't use a questionnaire: the photo check measures your skin tone directly with the ITA° colour angle, no memory required. Ideally, do both; if they disagree, believe the measurement over the memory.

Frequently asked questions

How accurate is a Fitzpatrick self-assessment?: Good enough to be dermatology's standard intake tool, imperfect enough that studies show people commonly self-classify one type away from clinical assessment, usually darker (i.e. more sun-resistant) than they really are. Answer with your worst burn in mind, not your best tan.
Can my Fitzpatrick type change?: Your underlying type is genetic and stable. What changes is your current tan and therefore your day-to-day tolerance, which is one reason a live measurement like a photo check can be more useful than a lifetime label for deciding today's sun exposure.
What's my type if I burn then tan?: Burn-then-tan is the signature of types II–III. If the burn comes first and the tan is light, you're II; if you tan reliably after occasional burns, you're III. The full-questionnaire score settles it.

Keep reading

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