The first step when carrying out an advanced skin treatment is to identify the patient’s skin type and diagnose their primary and secondary skin concerns. This analysis provides information to enable a final decision on treatment, and to assess the risk involved with carrying out a chemical peel treatment. This also establishes whether customisation of the treatment application is necessary.
An in-depth knowledge of anatomical and physiological skin function also provides a useful insight into the ways in which healthy skin function may already be compromised on a cellular level. This understanding, coupled with accurate assessment, effectively manages risks associated with the procedure, such as Post-Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation (PIH).
Dr Thomas Fitzpatrick, a Harvard Medical School dermatologist, developed this scale in 1988 in order to provide a standard method of classifying different skin types according to colour, and their…
