Understanding skin tones and undertones is important for finding the right color for your client and preventing residual color. Skin tone and undertone are two different things. Skin tone is your skin color. It’s determined by the amount of skin pigment (melanin) in the uppermost layer of the skin. Undertone is the hue from underneath the surface of your skin. Skin tone can change overtime however undertone does not.
There are different ways to classify skin tone. You can classify skin type by using descriptions ranging from ivory to ebony or you can use a numerical scientific skin type classification commonly known as the Fitzpatrick Scale.
The Fitzpatrick scale is a numerical, scientific system to classify skin color. This system is based on the amount of pigment in your skin and your skin’s reaction to sun exposure. When choosing a pigment color for your client, it is important to consider their skin tone. The following are the 6 Fitzpatrick skin types along with their characteristics such as skin color, sun reaction, tanning abilities, and associated details.
Skin color: Light, ivory, pale white, very fair
Tanning ability: Skin never tans
Sun reaction: Skin always burn
Characteristics: Blondes, redheads, Albinos, freckled
Skin color: White, fair, peach
Tanning ability: Skin rarely tan/minimal tanning
Sun reaction: Skin burns easily/peels often
Characteristics: Blondes, redheads, light brown hair, Northern Europeans (Scandinavians, Celts, etc.)
Skin color: White/fair to light brown/beige
Tanning ability: Skin easily tans/sometimes tan/tan gradually
Sun reaction: Skin will sometimes burn
Characteristics: Dark blondes, dark haired, people of Mediterranean and Middle eastern origins
Skin color: Olive to medium brown
Tanning ability: Skin will tan easily and often
Sun reaction: Skin will rarely burn
Characteristics: Medium to dark brown and black hair, people of East Asian origins (Chinese, Japanese, some Indians & Pakistanis, etc.)
Skin color: Dark brown
Tanning ability: Skin will always tan/tans easily and quickly
Sun reaction: Skin will rarely burn
Characteristics: Dark brown and black hair, people of African origins, South East Asian origins, and some Indians, Pakistanis and Latin origins
Skin color: Deeply pigmented dark brown to black/brown
Tanning ability: Skin will tan very easily and very quickly
Sun reaction: Skin will never burn
Characteristics: People of African origins, and dark-skinned Asian
*** The features listed of each Fitzpatrick type are common examples and characteristics. These characteristics are not limited to the above***