Fitzpatrick scale
{{short description|Classification of skin color and response to UV light}}
File:Influence of pigmentation on skin cancer risk.png
The Fitzpatrick scale (also Fitzpatrick skin typing test; or Fitzpatrick phototyping scale) is a numerical classification schema for human skin color. It was developed in 1975 by American dermatologist Thomas B. Fitzpatrick as a way to estimate the response of different types of skin to ultraviolet (UV) light.Fitzpatrick, T. B. (1975). "Soleil et peau" [Sun and skin]. Journal de Médecine Esthétique (in French) (2): 33–34 It was initially developed on the basis of skin color to measure the correct dose of UVA for PUVA therapy, and when the initial testing based only on hair and eye color resulted in too high UVA doses for some, it was altered to be based on the patient's reports of how their skin responds to the sun; it was also extended to a wider range of skin types.{{citation |author=Fitzpatrick, T.B. |year=1988 |title=The validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types i through vi |journal=Archives of Dermatology |volume=124 |issue=6 |pages=869–71 |doi=10.1001/archderm.1988.01670060015008|pmid=3377516 }}Pathak, M. A.; Jimbow, K.; Szabo, G.; Fitzpatrick, T. B. (1976). "Sunlight and melanin pigmentation". In Smith, K. C. (ed.): Photochemical and photobiological reviews, Plenum Press, New York. pp. 211–39{{ISBN?}}Fitzpatrick, T. B. (1986). "Ultraviolet-induced pigmentary changes: Benefits and hazards", Therapeutic Photomedicine, Karger, vol. 15 of "Current Problems in Dermatology", pp. 25–38 The Fitzpatrick scale remains a recognized tool for dermatological research into human skin pigmentation.
The following table shows the six categories of the Fitzpatrick scale in relation to the 36 categories of the older von Luschan scale:{{cite journal |title=The Fitzpatrick Skin Type Classification Scale |journal=Skin Inc. |date=13 May 2008 |issue=November 2007 |url=http://www.skininc.com/skinscience/physiology/10764816.html |access-date=7 January 2014 }}{{cite web |title=Fitzpatrick Skin Type |url=https://www.arpansa.gov.au/sites/g/files/net3086/f/legacy/pubs/RadiationProtection/FitzpatrickSkinType.pdf |publisher=Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency |access-date=30 November 2017 }}{{Cite web|title=What Is Golden Skin Tone? (With Pictures)|date=9 March 2020 |url=https://skincaregeeks.com/golden-skin-tone/}}
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!width="20%"|von Luschan !width="20%"|Fitzpatrick !width="20%"|Monk !width="20%"|Characteristics |
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|1 |rowspan="6"|I |rowspan="3"|1 |rowspan="6"|Always burns, never tans (palest; freckles); very light or white, "Celtic" type |
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|2 |
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|3 |
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|4 |rowspan="3"|2 |
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|5 |
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|6 |
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|7 |rowspan="7"|II |rowspan="2"|3 |rowspan="7"|Usually burns, tans minimally (light colored but darker than pale); light or light-skinned European |
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|8 |
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|9 |rowspan="4"|4 |
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|10 |
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|11 |
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|12 |
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|13 |rowspan="3"|5 |
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|14 |rowspan="7"|III |rowspan="7"|Sometimes mild burn, tans uniformly (golden honey or olive); light intermediate, or dark-skinned European |
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|15 |
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|16 |rowspan="5"|6 |
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|17 |
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|18 |
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|19 |
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|20 |
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|21 |rowspan="7"|IV |rowspan="3"|7 |rowspan="7"|Burns minimally, always tans well (moderate brown); dark intermediate or "olive skin" |
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|22 |
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|23 |
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|24 |rowspan="4"|8 |
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|25 |
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|26 |
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|27 |
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|28 |rowspan="7"|V |rowspan="2"|9 |rowspan="7"|Very rarely burns, tans very easily (dark brown); dark or "brown" type |
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|29 |
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|30 |rowspan="7"|10 |
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|31 |
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|32 |
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|33 |
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|34 |
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|35 |rowspan="2"|VI |rowspan="2"|Never burns (deeply pigmented dark brown to darkest brown); very dark or "black" type |
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|36 |
Emoji modifiers
{{Main|Emoji#Skin color|Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs#Emoji modifiers}}
The Fitzpatrick scale is also the basis of skin color in emoji, with five modifiers according to the Fitzpatrick scale (types {{Serif|I}} and {{Serif|II}} merged).
Eurocentric bias
The Fitzpatrick scale has been criticized for its Eurocentric bias and insufficient representation of global skin color diversity.{{cite journal |last=Lasisi |first=Tina |date=2021-03-05 |title=The constraints of racialization: How classification and valuation hinder scientific research on human variation |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |publisher=Wiley |volume=175 |issue=2 |pages=376–386 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.24264 |pmid=33675042 |issn=0002-9483}} The scale originally was developed for classifying "white skin" in response to solar radiation,Fitzpatrick, T. B. (1975). "Soleil et peau" [Sun and skin]. Journal de Médecine Esthétique (in French) (2): 33–34 and initially included only four categories focused on white skin, with "brown" and "black" skin types (V and VI) added as an afterthought.{{citation |author=Fitzpatrick, T.B. |year=1988 |title=The validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types i through vi |journal=Archives of Dermatology |volume=124 |issue=6 |pages=869–71 |doi=10.1001/archderm.1988.01670060015008|pmid=3377516 }}
The scale's methodology, relying on self-reporting of skin color, sunburn, and sun tanning response, fails to capture the broad spectrum of skin reflectance. Studies demonstrate that European populations have the narrowest skin color variation, whereas groups categorized as 'brown' or 'black' exhibit a much wider range.{{cite journal |last1=Crawford |first1=Nicholas G. |last2=Kelly |first2=Derek E. |last3=Hansen |first3=Matthew E. B. |last4=Beltrame |first4=Marcia H. |last5=Fan |first5=Shaohua |last6=Bowman |first6=Shanna L. |last7=Jewett |first7=Ethan |last8=Ranciaro |first8=Alessia |last9=Thompson |first9=Simon |last10=Lo |first10=Yancy |last11=Pfeifer |first11=Susanne P. |last12=Jensen |first12=Jeffrey D. |last13=Campbell |first13=Michael C. |last14=Beggs |first14=William |last15=Hormozdiari |first15=Farhad |date=2017-11-17 |title=Loci associated with skin pigmentation identified in African populations |journal=Science |publisher=American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |volume=358 |issue=6365 |doi=10.1126/science.aan8433 |issn=0036-8075 |last16=Mpoloka |first16=Sununguko Wata |last17=Mokone |first17=Gaonyadiwe George |last18=Nyambo |first18=Thomas |last19=Meskel |first19=Dawit Wolde |last20=Belay |first20=Gurja |last21=Haut |first21=Jake |last22=Rothschild |first22=Harriet |last23=Zon |first23=Leonard |last24=Zhou |first24=Yi |last25=Kovacs |first25=Michael A. |last26=Xu |first26=Mai |last27=Zhang |first27=Tongwu |last28=Bishop |first28=Kevin |last29=Sinclair |first29=Jason |last30=Rivas |first30=Cecilia |last31=Elliot |first31=Eugene |last32=Choi |first32=Jiyeon |last33=Li |first33=Shengchao A. |last34=Hicks |first34=Belynda |last35=Burgess |first35=Shawn |last36=Abnet |first36=Christian |last37=Watkins-Chow |first37=Dawn E. |last38=Oceana |first38=Elena |last39=Song |first39=Yun S. |last40=Eskin |first40=Eleazar |last41=Brown |first41=Kevin M. |last42=Marks |first42=Michael S. |last43=Loftus |first43=Stacie K. |last44=Pavan |first44=William J. |last45=Yeager |first45=Meredith |last46=Chanock |first46=Stephen |last47=Tishkoff |first47=Sarah A.|pages=eaan8433 |doi-access=free |pmid=29025994 |pmc=5759959 }}{{cite journal |last1=Martin |first1=Alicia R. |last2=Lin |first2=Meng |last3=Granka |first3=Julie M. |last4=Myrick |first4=Justin W. |last5=Liu |first5=Xiaomin |last6=Sockell |first6=Alexandra |last7=Atkinson |first7=Elizabeth G. |last8=Werely |first8=Cedric J. |last9=Möller |first9=Marlo |last10=Sandhu |first10=Manjinder S. |last11=Kingsley |first11=David M. |last12=Hoal |first12=Eileen G. |last13=Liu |first13=Xiao |last14=Daly |first14=Mark J. |last15=Feldman |first15=Marcus W. |year=2017 |title=An Unexpectedly Complex Architecture for Skin Pigmentation in Africans |journal=Cell |publisher=Elsevier BV |volume=171 |issue=6 |pages=1340–1353.e14 |doi=10.1016/j.cell.2017.11.015 |issn=0092-8674 |last16=Gignoux |first16=Christopher R. |last17=Bustamante |first17=Carlos D. |last18=Henn |first18=Brenna M.|doi-access=free |pmid=29195075 |pmc=5884124 }}
The efficacy of the Fitzpatrick scale even among white-skinned individuals has been argued to be questionable,{{cite journal |last=Lasisi |first=Tina |date=2021-03-05 |title=The constraints of racialization: How classification and valuation hinder scientific research on human variation |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |publisher=Wiley |volume=175 |issue=2 |pages=376–386 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.24264 |pmid=33675042 |issn=0002-9483}} since studies such as that on a Dutch student population{{cite journal |last=Rampen |first=Frans H. J. |date=1988-06-01 |title=Unreliability of Self-reported Burning Tendency and Tanning Ability |journal=Archives of Dermatology |publisher=American Medical Association (AMA) |volume=124 |issue=6 |pages=885–888 |doi=10.1001/archderm.1988.01670060031011 |pmid=3377517 |issn=0003-987X}} have found it inadequate for categorizing, challenging its appropriateness for investigating the relationship between sunburn tendency and tanning ability.{{cite journal |last=Lasisi |first=Tina |date=2021-03-05 |title=The constraints of racialization: How classification and valuation hinder scientific research on human variation |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |publisher=Wiley |volume=175 |issue=2 |pages=376–386 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.24264 |pmid=33675042 |issn=0002-9483}}
The Fitzpatrick scale's Eurocentric orientation and its limitations in accurately representing global skin color diversity, along with similar biases in classifying other phenotypic traits, have been argued to require more inclusive and scientifically valid categorizations in dermatological and genetic research.{{cite journal |last=Lasisi |first=Tina |date=2021-03-05 |title=The constraints of racialization: How classification and valuation hinder scientific research on human variation |journal=American Journal of Physical Anthropology |publisher=Wiley |volume=175 |issue=2 |pages=376–386 |doi=10.1002/ajpa.24264 |pmid=33675042 |issn=0002-9483}}