UV Safe TanFitzpatrick Skin Types I to VI: Find Yours and What It Means in the Sun
Short answer: the Fitzpatrick scale sorts skin into six types by how it reacts to sun. Picture the first strong sun of the year on untanned skin. If you always burn and never tan, you are type I. If you burn easily and tan a little, type II. Burn sometimes and tan gradually, type III. Rarely burn and tan easily, type IV. Very rarely burn, type V. Almost never burn, type VI.
The six types
| Type | Typical skin | Sun reaction |
|---|---|---|
| I | Very fair, often red or blond hair, freckles | Always burns, never tans |
| II | Fair | Burns easily, tans minimally |
| III | Light to beige | Burns moderately, tans gradually |
| IV | Olive, light brown | Burns minimally, tans easily |
| V | Brown | Rarely burns, tans deeply |
| VI | Deeply pigmented dark brown to black | Almost never burns |
If you are between two types
Pick the lower number. Guessing too fair gives you a safety margin. Guessing too dark can mean a burn.
What your type means at different UV levels
Approximate minutes to first redness with no sunscreen:
| Skin type | UV 3 | UV 6 | UV 8 | UV 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type I | 44 min | 22 min | 17 min | 13 min |
| Type II | 56 min | 28 min | 21 min | 17 min |
| Type III | 67 min | 33 min | 25 min | 20 min |
| Type IV | 100 min | 50 min | 38 min | 30 min |
| Type V | 133 min | 67 min | 50 min | 40 min |
| Type VI | 222 min | 111 min | 83 min | 67 min |
See how long it takes to get sunburned for how sunscreen changes these numbers.
Darker skin still needs sun care
Types V and VI burn far less, but UV still causes long-term damage, uneven pigmentation and skin cancer, which is often diagnosed later in darker skin. Sunscreen and shade still matter at high UV.
Put your type to work
UV Safe Tan asks for your skin type once, then shows how many minutes you have right now at the current UV index, factoring in your SPF. The number updates as the day goes on, so you always know your window.
UV Safe Tan is coming soon
Live UV index for where you are, a burn timer set by your skin type and SPF, reapply reminders, a tan timer that stops before you burn, and Home Screen widgets. For iPhone and iPad.
Coming soon to theApp StoreMore guides
What the UV index means
The 0 to 11+ scale, level by level, and what to do at each number.
Read guideHow long until you burn
A burn time chart by skin type and UV index, plus how much SPF really buys you.
Read guideHow often to reapply sunscreen
The 2 hour rule, when to reapply sooner, and how much sunscreen is enough.
Read guide