What Are Skin Types?
"Skin typing" is a method for determining one's natural ability to produce melanin. Skin types are hereditary and cannot be altered by outside influences.

Skin types range from Skin Type l (pale, fair, freckles) to Skin Type lV (African American). Skin types are classified according to a person's tendencies to sunburn and/or tan. Most indoor tanners are a skin type ll, lll, or lV. These people tend to burn upon exposure to varying dosages of UV light, but also have the ability to develop some pigmentation. While all of us, regardless of skin type, have about the same number of melanocytes in our skin, we vary in our ability to produce melanin. It is this production capability which results in a certain skin type.