Optimisation of skin phototype classification

Abstract

Understanding individuals' skin pigmentation and photosensitivity is important in judging risk of skin cancer and response to certain treatment modalities. However, individuals with darkly pigmented skin are poorly represented in the widely used Fitzpatrick skin phototype (FST) system. Moreover, the FST system is prone to misuse, as it relies on subjective patient and clinician assessment of skin type, and does not clearly differentiate pigmentation from photosensitivity. By evaluating the key literature surrounding the FST system, its criticisms and proposed alternatives, this review serves to understand how skin phototype classification can be optimised.

Skin Protection by Carotenoid Pigments

“…In recent years, new objective classification systems have been developed, e.g., the skin cancer phototype classification (SCP), the human eumelanin skin color scale, or the objective measure of constitutive pigmentation developed by Del Bino and Bernard based on the individual typology angle (ITA) [24]. Recently, new tools based on artificial intelligence have become available as smartphone applications [25]. Different classifications of skin phenotypes are summarized in Table 1.…”