Which skin type am I? - test
The Different Skin Types - One Try
The experimental set-up is simple, although not everyone has appropriate locations or the right subjects. Let us therefore follow it in the spirit. So, suppose: A beach, preferably near the equator, on a sunny day. Easy to find on Ko Samui, one of the most beautiful islands in the Gulf of Thailand. Gebongt. A Mary from Ireland, a Martin from Germany, a Louise from France and a Yannis from Greece. All to find in Europe. Four beach chairs (rent on the beach) and a stopwatch (eBay). In addition, a Thai in the shade of a palm tree (on site). Then you put the four subjects in their lounge chairs, press the Thai stopwatch into the hand and say, "Go!".
After a short time, the red-haired Mary leaves the experimental setup heated up. The Thai's stopwatch shows nine minutes. At minute 17, Martin gets up from his deck chair, drives his way through sweaty blond hair and follows Mary. Louise holds out for another twelve minutes. Then she vigorously shakes her brown curls and disappears. The now lonely Yannis is waiting until minute 42, scratching at the black curly head and leaving because he is thirsty. Under the palm tree, the Thai presses on the stopwatch for the last time and wonders what the crazy long-noses do in the sun. Trial finished. But what does he show or prove?
The skin types after Fitzpatrick
The American dermatologist Thomas Fitzpatrick undertook in 1975 a valid classification of skin types. He referred to the classification of the so-called "whites", but later added two other types: the dark-skinned and the black skin type. The latter two are not relevant in studies on sunscreen and therefore do not occur in our experimental setup. Let's remember the skin types one to four, which Fitzpatrick classified as follows:
Celtic type (type I)
Mary from Ireland is a classic representative of this skin type. She has very light skin, which tends to sunbathe not to tan, but to the formation of freckles. Her hair is reddish, the nipples are only weakly pigmented and she has a very high sunburn and thus also skin cancer risk. The so-called self-protection time of the skin (without the use of sunscreen) is less than ten minutes.
Nordic type (Type II)
The blonde Martin from Germany has all the classic attributes of this skin type. As the name "Nordic Type" already suggests, it could just as well be based in Scandinavia. His fair skin also tends to freckles and tans only weakly and slowly. Even his moderately pigmented nipples fit into the picture, as well as the high risk of sunburn and skin cancer. For him, the self-protection time of the skin is between ten and twenty minutes.
Mixed type (type III)
The brunette Frenchwoman Louise is representative of the vast majority of Central Europe? This skin type is the most common here. Louise has a medium complexion and no freckles. Her nipples are moderately pigmented and when exposed to sunlight her skin tans slowly progressing to light brown. The risk of sunburn or skin cancer is significantly reduced compared to type I and II. Your skin has a self-protection time of twenty to thirty minutes.
Mediterranean type (type IV)
As a resident of the Greek Mediterranean, Yannis skin is already light brown to olive-brown even without sun exposure. The black hair fits this skin type, as do the dark nipples. Yannis tans quickly and intensively, is less likely to get sunburn and has a low skin cancer risk. Even without sunscreen, his skin has a self-protection time of over thirty minutes.
Determine skin type with the table overview
| characteristics | Skin type 1 | Skin type 2 | Skin type 3 | Skin type 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| skin | very fair-skinned | light-skinned | tan | brown, olive |
| hair | red or blond | blond brown | light brown, brown | dark brown / black |
| eyes | blue, rarely brown | blue, green, gray | gray, brown | brown / dark |
| sunburn | always strong, painful | often strong, painful | rare, moderate | hardly ever |
| Self-protection time of the skin | 5 - 10 minutes | 10 - 20 minutes | 20 - 30 minutes | 40 minutes |
| Textile protection with UPF 20 | 100 - 200 minutes | 200 - 400 minutes | 400 - 600 minutes | 800 minutes |
The right skin protection for Mary, Martin, Louise and Yannis
In our attempt, one of the participants has behaved most sensibly: The Thai in the shadow of the palm! The dangers of excessive sunbathing are well known, and not just since the discovery of the ozone hole. The (historically new) beauty ideal of a tanned person will be just as short-lived as many other trends. And on your heart: Nothing against a chic holiday tan, but at the expense of health? In the shadow, does the human become brown too? slower, but gentle on the skin.
Who still wants to be in the blazing sun (or must), should ensure sufficient sun protection and not exceed the resulting solar time.With sun creams, the brighter the skin and the younger the person, the higher the sun protection factor (LFS) should be. The drug of choice must protect against both UV-A and UV-B rays. The best way to determine the skin type with a dermatologist (or in the beauty salon) and advise on the selection of a sunscreen.
In this sense ? happy tanning and do not forget: Even a sunburn has its downsides!
