HOW LONG UNTIL YOU BURN – What’s Your Skin Type?

People with fair skin are more likely to sunburn than are people with dark skin. That’s because people with darker skin have more melanin, which offers some protection from sunburn but not from UV-induced skin damage.

Skin color is determined by the number, distribution and type of pigment-producing cells (melanocytes) in the skin. Dermatologists refer to the degrees of pigmentation in skin as skin types. Skin types range from very little pigment (type I) to very darkly pigmented (type VI). How easily you burn depends on your skin type and how light or dark your skin is.

Classification of skin types
Skin type	Skin color	Reaction to sun exposure
Type I	Pale white skin	Always burns, never tans
Type II	White skin	Burns easily, tans minimally
Type III	White skin	Burns minimally, tans easily
Type IV	Light brown or olive skin	Burns minimally, tans easily
Type V	Brown skin	Rarely burns, tans easily and darkly
Type VI	Dark brown or black skin	Rarely burns, always tans, deeply pigmented

Regardless of your skin type, the sun’s energy penetrates deeply into the skin and damages DNA of skin cells. This damage may ultimately lead to skin cancer, including melanoma. Even people with type V or VI skin can develop skin cancer, often on the palms, fingers or other more lightly pigmented areas of their bodies.