Your skin type affects how easily you sunburn. However, sun protection measures should be used for babies, small children, and older adults, regardless of their skin type, because their skin is very sensitive to sunburn.
| Type I |
Red hair, freckles (extremely sensitive) |
Sunburn easily, not likely to tan |
|---|---|---|
| Type II |
Fair skin, blue eyes (very sensitive) |
Usually sunburn easily, tan a little |
| Type III |
Most whites (sensitive) |
Sunburn sometimes, tan slowly |
| Type IV |
Mediterranean, Hispanic, Asian (moderately sensitive) |
Sunburn a little, usually tan well |
| Type V |
Middle Eastern, Latino, Indian, light-skinned blacks (minimally sensitive) |
Rarely sunburn, tan deeply |
| Type VI |
Dark-skinned blacks (not sensitive) |
Almost never sunburn |
Credits
| Author | Jan Nissl, RN, BS |
| Editor | Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA |
| Associate Editor | Michele Cronen |
| Associate Editor | Tracy Landauer |
| Primary Medical Reviewer | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine |
| Specialist Medical Reviewer | Alexander H. Murray, MD, FRCPC - Dermatology |
| Last Updated | December 28, 2007 |
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