Your skin type

Your skin type is determined by the genes you get from your parents. It affects both your likelihood of burning in the sun and your risk of skin cancer.

Knowing your skin type will help you work out when to protect yourself. As a general rule, the lighter your skin, the more careful you should be in the sun.

But remember that everyone, even people with dark skin, can burn if the sun is strong enough.

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What skin type am I?

Experts identify six different skin types. Match your natural hand colour to one of the photos in our skin type table. Then check the description matches your hair and eye colour and what happens to your skin in strong sun.

Skin type chart

Type I - Often burns, rarely tans. Tends to have freckles, red or fair hair, and blue or green eyes.

Type II - Usually burns, sometimes tans. Tends to have light hair, and blue or brown eyes.

Type III - Sometimes burns, usually tans. Tends to have brown hair and eyes.

Type IV - Rarely burns, often tans. Tends to have dark brown eyes and hair.

Type V - Naturally black-brown skin. Often has dark brown eyes and hair.

Type VI - Naturally black-brown skin. Usually has black-brown eyes and hair.

 

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When am I most at risk?

When you know your skin type you can work out your burn risk and when to  protect yourself.

Check the UV Index for the day on the Met Office website. You can then see how risky this is for you on our burn risk table.

Sun chart

  • Low risk - no protection is needed.
  • Medium risk - take care around midday and do not spend too long in the sun unprotected.
  • High risk - cover up and spend time in the shade between 11 and 3. Use least factor 15 sunscreen on exposed skin.
  • Very high risk - be sure to cover up and in the shade between 11 and 3. And use at least factor 15 sunscreen.

 

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