Table A-2: ENVIRONMENT CANADA SKIN TYPES AND REACTION TO THE SUNa

Skin Type

Skin Color

History of Tanning & Sunburning

 

 

 

 

 

 

I

White

Always burns easily, never tans

II

White

Always burns easily, tans minimally

III

Light Brown

Burns moderately, tans gradually

IV

Moderate Brown

Burns minimally, tans well

V

Dark Brown

Burns rarely, tans profusely

VI

Black

Never burns, deep pigmentation

a.Developed by T. B. Fitzpatrick of the Harvard Medical School. More about the Fitzpatrick Skin Types is available in: Fitzpatrick TB. Editorial: the validity and practicality of sun-reactive skin types I through VI. Arch Dermatol 1988; 124:869-871

Skin Phototype (EPA)

1

2

Some burn

3

4

20

UV Dose that

Causes Sunburn

All Burn

40 60 80

 

 

 

 

I

 

 

 

 

 

II

Canada)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

III

(EnvironmentType

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

IV

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

V

Skin

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

VI

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

100

120 mJ/cm2

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

UV Dose (MEDs)

UV Dose and Sunburn - Use this plot to estimate the MED dose leading to sunburn. A person with Type II (Environment Canada) skin type might choose 0.75 MED as the maximum for the day; in contrast, a person with Type V (Environment Canada) Skin Type might consider 2.5 MEDs a reason- able dose for the day. NOTE: the Vantage Pro2 assumes a Fitzpatrick (Environment Canada) Skin Type of II.

UV Index

Vantage Pro2 can also display UV Index, an intensity measurement first defined by Environment Canada and since been adopted by the World Meteorological Organization. UV Index assigns a number between

0 and 16 to the current UV intensity. The US EPA categorizes the Index values as shown in table A-3. The lower the number, the lower the danger of sunburn. The Index value published by the U.S. National Weather Ser- vice is a forecast of the next day’s noontime UV intensity. The Index val- ues displayed by the Vantage Pro2 are real-time measurements.

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Davis Instruments Vantage Pro2 manual Skin Type Skin Color History of Tanning & Sunburning, Iii