What's your
Fitzpatrick skin type?

The Fitzpatrick scale, developed in 1975, sorts skin into six phototypes (Type I to Type VI) by how it reacts to sun: how easily it burns and how readily it tans. Type I is the fairest and always burns, Type VI is the deepest and effectively never burns. It is a tool for understanding sun reaction and choosing sun care, not a measure of beauty or a medical diagnosis.

This quiz uses the same self-assessment questions the original scale is based on: eye color, natural hair color, unexposed skin color, freckling, and how your skin burns and tans. It gives a reliable estimate of your phototype for choosing sun care. For any medical skin concern, see a dermatologist, who can assess your skin in person.

Not exactly. Skin tone describes how your skin looks; your Fitzpatrick type describes how it behaves in the sun. They usually line up, fair skin tends to be Type I or II and deep skin Type V or VI, but two people with a similar tone can burn and tan differently, which is what the type captures.

Worldwide, Type III and Type IV are the most common phototypes: medium to olive skin that tans fairly easily and burns only after real overexposure. In the United States, Type II and Type III dominate. Whatever the averages say, sun care is individual, which is why the test asks about your burn history rather than your background.

Olive skin is usually Fitzpatrick Type IV: skin with a green-yellow undertone that tans easily and rarely burns. Lighter olive complexions that catch the occasional burn can land at Type III instead. The tell is behavior, not color alone, so note how your skin handled its last strong sun exposure before settling on a type.

Your underlying phototype, set by genetics, stays the same through life. What changes is how tanned or sun-exposed your skin is at a given moment, which can make it look like a different type temporarily. Base your routine on your natural, unexposed skin.

Yes. Deeper skin, Type V and VI, burns less easily but is still affected by the sun, especially through hyperpigmentation and uneven tone. Daily broad-spectrum sunscreen, ideally one that leaves no white cast, is the most effective way to keep deep skin even and healthy.

SPF 30 broad-spectrum, worn daily, is the floor for every type on the scale. Type I and II should prefer SPF 50, since fair skin burns fastest and has the least natural defense. Deep skin still needs the daily SPF 30: melanin's built-in protection is estimated at around SPF 13 at best, well below what a bottle provides.

Melasma shows up most in Types III to V: medium, olive, and brown skin, where pigment cells respond strongly to hormones and light. It is also more common in women, and heat and visible light can deepen it, not just UV. A tinted mineral sunscreen with iron oxides blocks the visible light plain SPF lets through.

Yes. Dermatologists still use the Fitzpatrick scale daily to set laser and light-treatment settings, estimate sunburn and skin cancer risk, and dose phototherapy. Its limits on deeper skin tones are well known, which is why newer tools like the Monk scale supplement it, but after five decades it remains the standard phototype reference.

No. The quiz runs entirely in your browser. Nothing is sent anywhere, and there is no account or email required to see your result.

Your type predicts what your skin needs. Fair types need maximum sun protection and self-tanner for color; olive and brown types need no-cast SPF and brightening for even tone; deep types need invisible SPF and dark-spot care. Knowing your type is the fastest way to stop guessing at the shelf. Once you know yours, our buying guides do the sorting for you, starting with the best sunscreen for dark skin.