I recently read a medical report that identified me as a Fitzpatrick Type 2 Woman. Such an odd label, I had to research what it meant. There’s no hidden message: Fitzpatrick Type is a system that predicts who is at risk of sunburn by categorizing skin according to how much melanin is present.
Most of us know that skin with very little melanin has barely any protection from the sun’s UV rays and will likely burn. When the skin burns, it increases the risk of skin cancer. Ranging from Type 1 to Type 6, the lower your number the paler your complexion and the more issues you have with sun exposure.
But who’s Fitzpatrick? I found out that Thomas Fitzpatrick was an American researcher. In the 60’s, he investigated the role of sunlight and especially sunburn in the development of melanoma. By 1975, he had devised the Fitzpatrick scale of skin phototypes. He settled in Massachusetts and is called “the father of modern academic dermatology.”
We can thank him for developing some of the first modern sunscreens. Thank you, Dr. Fitzpatrick.
This is also a public service announcement to get your annual skin cancer screening.
Instead of posting a photo of someone with a sunburn or a bottle of sunscreen, I opted for the dewy sunset hibiscus in the photo below. A friend in Oceanside grows them and their beauty transports me to tropical places.
