Skin Typing

When we are measuring the level of melanin in one’s skin, we are determining their Fitzpatrick & Lancer skin typing. Skin typing can determine how much melanin is present, and specific tendencies the skin may have based on their ethnicities.

Fitzpatrick Skin Typing

Fitzpatrick skin typing specifically measures the level of pigment present in the skin. Fitzpatrick skin typing may differ depending on the level of sun exposure in each individual area. For example, the natural skin tone may be a skin type III, but when exposed to the sun, more melanin will surface, and the skin type will appear as a fitzpatrick IV instead. The higher the number, the more pigment will be present.

Since the safety of a laser treatment is dependent on the presence of melanin, we must determine the Fitzpatrick skin type every visit per area and adjust our settings accordingly.

Lancer Skin Typing

Lancer skin type is mainly determined by one’s ethnicity. Depending on their ethnic background, their skin will have certain behaviours and react differently when inflamed or exposed to the sun. This does directly corelate with the fitzpatrick skin type. However, unlike the fitzpatrick skin typing, one’s lancer skin typing never changes. For example someone from middle east is classified as a lancer skin type IV, but may be fair and categorized as a fitzpatrick skin type II or III. In this case we still treat based on the fitzpatrick skin type, but be mindful of the behaviors of a lancer skin type IV.

The larger the number the more chance their skin will be darker and/or easily pigment when inflamed. These clients are at high risk of post inflammatory hyperpigmentation and is recommended to use a pigment inhibitor (especially on the face) to avoid PIH.

Lancer scale

Type I : Irish, scottish, english

Type II: Northern europe (poland, ukraine, austria etc)

Type III: Central europe (Italy, France, Greece, Portugal etc)

Type IV: Middle east, Hispanic, Southern Europe etc

Type V: South Asian, South American etc

Type VI: Caribbean, Nigeria etc