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Hauttyp menschen haut

What skin type am I?

When determining your skin type and its significance for self-protection against UV radiation, there are many legends and rumors. Find out what is true and what matters for your health here: Dermatologists have divided human skin into six skin types. It ranges from 1 (very fair and sensitive skin, freckles, red-blond hair, light eyes, no pre-tanning) to 6 (very dark, almost black skin, dark hair, and dark eyes).

Your skin type does not mean that you are more likely to get skin cancer with fair skin than others with darker skin. In fact, fair-skinned people are well aware that the sun is harmful to them, as they quickly get sunburned. Therefore, they tend to be cautious and protect themselves.

Discover UV clothing for healthy skin

For the best protection against UV radiation, dermatologists and radiation researchers recommend certified UV protective clothing, which blocks almost 100% of UV rays. Exposed skin should also be protected with a sunscreen with a high sun protection factor. Crucial now is how long you can safely stay in the sun without endangering your skin cells, based on your skin type. Here is the list for your self-assessment and how long you should maximum stay unprotected in the sun to avoid irreversible damage to your skin cells:


 Skin Type Characteristics Maximum Sun Exposure

hauttyp01

Skin Type 1 (Celtic):
very fair skin, freckles, red-blond hair 
 < 10 minutes

Skin Type 2 (Nordic): 
fair skin, often freckles, light hair 
 < 15 minutes

hauttyp03

Skin Type 3 (Mixed Type):
medium-fair skin, brown hair 
 < 20 minutes

hauttyp04

Skin Type 4 (Mediterranean):
tanned skin, dark eyes, dark hair
 < 30 minutes

hauttyp05-2

Skin Type 5 (Dark):
dark skin, dark eyes, black hair 

 < 50 minutes

hauttyp06

Skin Type 6 (Black) :
black skin, dark eyes, black hair 
 < 60 minutes

* We found the table at Deavita.

The darker the skin, the longer the natural protection lasts. So far, so good. But: this by no means means that as a fair type, you should tan your skin for a long time during your vacation to get better protection. Every sun exposure, even without sunburn, damages or destroys skin cells. These skin cells store this "damage" for a lifetime. The result: if a lot of skin cells are damaged or destroyed, skin cancer is the inevitable consequence.

And just to make it not too easy, here are a few facts to consider: The most important thing is the fact that children's skin is much more sensitive than that of adults. Here you can forget the skin type directly and protect your child completely from the sun in any case. A second point is hair. No hair on the head means no additional protection. But many hairs by no means mean that you are well protected. Even the thickest hair lets UV radiation through. And thirdly: never underestimate UV radiation, don't wait until your skin is irritated, red, or burned. Just protect yourself always because skin cancer is by far the fastest-growing type of cancer.

Discover UV clothing for healthy skin

The solution is simple. Stay indoors or at least in the shade with UV protective clothing between 11 am and 4 pm in summer or on vacation. We know this sensible tradition from the Spaniards, who hold their "siesta" during this time. Protect yourself from a UV index of 3 (this is reached in Germany, Austria, or Switzerland on a normal spring day or in autumn). Wear a head covering with designated UV protection and dress in UV protection clothing. iQ UV hits two birds with one stone, or rather one UV shirt: 100% secure UV protection and comfortable, cooling summer clothing with high freedom of movement. TÜV confirms: the best UV protection, our customers confirm: comfortable, light, and delivered quickly.