Skin & SPF · Interactive tool
Fitzpatrick Skin Type Test
Answer 8 quick questions about your natural features and how your skin typically responds to sunlight to estimate your Fitzpatrick skin phototype (Types I–VI).
About 1–2 minutes · Educational self-assessment · Not medical advice
Question 1 of 8
What is your natural eye colour?
Your answers are processed in your browser and are not submitted to T&T.
The self-assessment
What is the Fitzpatrick skin type test?
The Fitzpatrick skin phototype system classifies typical skin response to sunlight — especially the tendency to burn and to tan — into six types (I through VI). The test on this page is a self-assessment: it estimates your phototype from a small set of questions about natural features (eye colour, hair colour, natural untanned skin colour, freckling) and typical response to sun exposure.
The questionnaire is educational. It isn't a diagnosis and isn't a substitute for assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
How it works
How the Fitzpatrick test works
The 8-question format follows the framework published by The Skin Cancer Foundation. Four questions cover natural constitutional features:
- Natural eye colour
- Natural hair colour
- Natural untanned skin colour
- Freckles on normally unexposed skin
Four cover typical response to sun exposure:
- Burn tendency after significant sun exposure
- How readily the skin develops a tan
- Typical depth of tanning
- Facial sensitivity to sunlight
Each answer scores 0–4. The total (0–32) maps deterministically to Types I–VI using the published Skin Cancer Foundation cutoffs: 0–6 → Type I; 7–12 → Type II; 13–18 → Type III; 19–24 → Type IV; 25–30 → Type V; 31–32 → Type VI. Your estimated result is displayed as soon as all 8 questions are answered — there's no AI, no confidence percentage, no weighting.
At a glance
Fitzpatrick skin types I–VI
Typical UV-response patterns per phototype, drawn from the general Fitzpatrick classification described by DermNet and the StatPearls / NCBI Bookshelf phototyping literature. See our complete Fitzpatrick skin types guide for the full treatment.
I
Very high burn susceptibility, little or no tanning response.
II
Burns easily; develops relatively little tan.
III
May burn; commonly develops a gradual tan.
IV
Burns less readily; tans relatively easily.
V
Burns infrequently; develops deeper pigmentation readily.
VI
Deeply pigmented; low visible burn susceptibility (but UV can still damage skin).
These are typical UV-response tendencies, not medical guarantees. Every skin type can be affected by ultraviolet radiation.
Two questions, not one
Why burning and tanning are asked separately
Some Fitzpatrick self-assessments collapse “how easily do you burn?” and “how readily do you tan?” into one combined question. Peer-reviewed dermatology research — Bieliauskiene et al., 2018, Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine — reported that questionnaires asking burn tendency and tanning ability as separate items showed better relationship with objectively measured skin sensitivity than a combined burn/tan question. This test follows that separated-question approach.
In the app
How T&T uses your Fitzpatrick skin type
T&T combines your Fitzpatrick skin type with the current/live UV Index for your location and your selected SPF to provide personalized UV-aware session guidance — not a guarantee against sunburn, and not a prediction of how dark a tan will be or when it will appear. For how your phototype shapes personal session context, see the tanning by skin type guide.
Type I is treated differently in the app. T&T doesn't produce a tanning routine for Fitzpatrick Type I users — the app provides a Sun Safety Plan instead, alongside the live UV Index and sunscreen-reapplication reminders.
Website test vs mobile camera feature. The 8-question test on this page is a self-assessment. Separately, the T&T mobile app offers camera-assisted visual skin-type matching — a live rear-camera preview alongside six Fitzpatrick reference swatches so you can visually pick the closest match yourself. The app doesn't analyse the image; no photo is captured, saved or uploaded. It's not AI and not automatic detection.
What this test can't do
Limitations of the Fitzpatrick test
- Fitzpatrick phototype is a classification of typical skin response to sunlight, not a diagnosis.
- Self-reported burn and tanning history can be subjective. Peer-reviewed research (Eilers et al. 2013) has found mismatches between self-report, clinician assessment and objectively measured pigmentation.
- Limitations are particularly important across diverse skin tones. The Fitzpatrick scale has been criticised as a proxy for skin colour, race or ethnicity, and its performance varies across populations.
- The result should be treated as an estimate — a starting point rather than a definitive answer.
- Some medical conditions and medications can independently increase photosensitivity. Those factors are not captured by a Fitzpatrick self-assessment. Speak to a healthcare professional if you have specific skin or photosensitivity concerns.
This tool is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a substitute for assessment by a qualified healthcare professional.
Common questions
Fitzpatrick skin type test — FAQ
What is a Fitzpatrick skin type?
Fitzpatrick skin phototype (Types I–VI) classifies typical skin response to sunlight, especially the tendency to burn and to tan. It's based on natural features (eye colour, hair colour, natural skin colour, freckling) and the way skin usually reacts to sun exposure. DermNet describes it as a classification of skin phototype rather than a description of skin colour per se.
Is the Fitzpatrick test accurate?
It's an educational self-assessment, not a diagnosis. Peer-reviewed dermatology research (Eilers et al. 2013, JAMA Dermatology) has found that self-reported Fitzpatrick phototype doesn't always match clinician assessment or objective pigmentation measurements. Results are best treated as an estimate.
Can my Fitzpatrick skin type change?
The underlying phototype — how your skin fundamentally responds to UV — is generally considered stable. Your appearance can change with tanning or ageing over time, but that's a change in current tan, not a change in phototype. Some medical conditions and medications can independently increase photosensitivity, which is separate from Fitzpatrick classification.
Is Fitzpatrick skin type the same as skin colour?
No. The Fitzpatrick scale describes skin's typical response to UV — especially burn and tan tendency — rather than being a pure skin-colour scale. Peer-reviewed dermatology literature specifically criticises using Fitzpatrick as a proxy for skin colour, race or ethnicity.
Can darker skin still be affected by UV radiation?
Yes. Higher Fitzpatrick phototypes generally burn less readily than lower phototypes, but no skin type is immune to UV damage. UV-related skin injury and skin cancers still occur in people with darker skin. The World Health Organization treats solar UV as a known skin-cancer risk factor for all phototypes.
How does T&T use my Fitzpatrick skin type?
T&T combines your Fitzpatrick skin type with the current/live UV Index for your location and your selected SPF to provide personalized UV-aware session guidance — a planning tool, not a guarantee against sunburn. Note: T&T doesn't produce a tanning routine for Fitzpatrick Type I users — the app provides a Sun Safety Plan instead.
Does T&T scan my skin type automatically?
No. T&T doesn't use AI or automatic detection. In the mobile app, T&T offers camera-assisted visual skin-type matching: a live rear-camera preview alongside six Fitzpatrick reference swatches, and you visually pick the closest match. No photo is captured, saved or uploaded. The website test on this page is a separate 8-question self-assessment.
Why does the test ask burning and tanning as separate questions?
Peer-reviewed dermatology research (Bieliauskiene et al. 2018, Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine) found that questionnaires asking burn tendency and tanning ability separately showed a better relationship with objective skin measurements than a combined burn/tan question. This test follows that separated-question approach.
Sources
Scientific and framework references used on this page. Every source materially supports user-visible copy.
- The Skin Cancer Foundation — Rays Awareness — Skin Type Quiz — the 8-question framework and score ranges (0–6, 7–12, 13–18, 19–24, 25–30, 31–32) used by this self-assessment.
- DermNet — Skin phototype (Fitzpatrick skin type) — definition of Fitzpatrick phototype and traditional I–VI characteristics.
- Bieliauskiene G, Philipsen PA, Wulf HC. Phototype reproducibility and relation to objectively measured skin sensitivity is best when burn and tan reactivity to sun are answered separately. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology & Photomedicine, 2018. PMID: 29882998; DOI: 10.1111/phpp.12399.
- Eilers S, Bach DQ, Gaber R, et al. Accuracy of self-report in assessing Fitzpatrick skin phototypes I through VI. JAMA Dermatology, 2013. PMID: 24048361; DOI: 10.1001/jamadermatol.2013.6101.
- Ware OR, Dawson JE, Shinohara MM, Taylor SC. Racial limitations of Fitzpatrick skin type across diverse populations. PMID: 31367171; PMCID: PMC6645720.
- Trakatelli M, Bylaite-Bučinskiene M, Correia O, et al. Clinical assessment of skin phototypes: watch your words! PMID: 29171392.
- World Health Organization — Ultraviolet radiation (fact sheet) — solar UV as a known skin-cancer risk factor for all skin types.
Citing an organization here does not indicate an endorsement of T&T by that organization.
Related guides
Fitzpatrick Skin Types
The full Fitzpatrick classification, its history, characteristics and limitations — the deeper guide behind this self-assessment.
Tanning by Skin Type
How Fitzpatrick phototype shapes tanning response and personal session context.
How Long Should I Tan?
The three factors behind today's session length — live UV, Fitzpatrick skin type and SPF.
Get T&T
Download the free tanning app
Free to download. Premium unlocks the full experience.