First Aesthetic Consult: Dr. Fitzpatrick’s Scale
So, you’re looking in the mirror after showering and notice skin changes due to maturing that are concerning. This can happen at any age, to any gender, or natural shade of one’s skin. It may be time to book a consultation with a licensed Aesthetician. But how does your Aesthetician begin to evaluate your needs and suggest a treatment regimen?
This is where Dr. Thomas B Fitzpatrick an American dermatologist, and the Fitzpatrick Skin Scale which he developed in 1975, become important to your care. This scale is a numerical classification of skin color (I-VI) used to estimate your skin’s response to ultraviolet (UV) light.
Your Aesthetician will ask several questions after examining your skin to help her to identify your specific Fitzpatrick type. Are you Italian, with an olive Mediterranean skin shade? Darker with African ancestry? Very fair and blond from Northern Europe? What is your eye color? Do you freckle? To what degree does your skin tan or burn on a sunny beach day? The answers to these questions will determine treatment options for your specific skin concern.
For example, various lasers and radiologic treatment devices can be effectively employed by an Aesthetician but only if your skin type falls within an appropriate range on the scale. At Dr. Beals’ office, each of our Aestheticians and Nurses have successfully passed a special laser certification course and are certified by the State of Arizona to use these treatments. They are experts in determining where on the Fitzpatrick Scale your skin falls and choosing safe and appropriate treatment options tailored specifically for you.
Our staff can show you the Fitzpatrick Skin Scale during your consult to help you better understand your own skin needs. To look great and be healthy call Beals Skin and Laser Center at (480) 947-6788 for your consultation with one of our experienced Aestheticians or Nurses.
Written by Gina Viviano, RN, LA
Medically reviewed by Stephen P. Beals, MD
Gina is the Director of the Stephen P. Beals Skin and Laser Center, Paradise Valley, AZ
Dermatology, nursing, and skincare have been professional passions for her entire career.