What system do you use to measure the skin's ability to tolerate sun exposure?

The Fitzpatrick Scale is the established method used to assess how different skin types react to sun exposure. Developed by Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick in 1975, this scale classifies skin into six categories based on individual responses to ultraviolet (UV) light, particularly in relation to tanning and burning.

The scale helps estheticians and dermatologists predict a person's risk of sunburn, skin cancer, and other UV-related conditions based on their skin's pigmentation and inherent responses to sunlight. It ranges from type I, which includes fair skin that always burns and never tans, to type VI, which includes very dark skin that rarely burns.

While other systems like the Bellevue Scale and Skin Type Classification exist, they do not specifically focus on sun exposure tolerance the way the Fitzpatrick Scale does. The Melanin Index measures skin pigmentation but does not assess the skin's sun tolerance in the context of burning and tanning. Thus, the Fitzpatrick Scale is the correct choice for evaluating a person's tolerance to sun exposure.