Fitzpatrick skin types: which laser suits which skin?
Skin type I or skin type V, very fair, Asian, Mediterranean or black skin: the Fitzpatrick scale helps to determine which laser is safe and which setting is appropriate. Here you will find out how to determine your skin type, why the melanin in the epidermis sets the limit and how pigment spots after laser treatment can be avoided.
For each skin type we name the matching technology: the DEWEON 4LD diode laser for all skin types, the AlexDUAL UFO with alexandrite for fair skin and Nd:YAG for dark skin, the VCL DERMALIGHT for light hair, and the TULIX, the DERMAFORCE BBL PRO and the EUPHEUS M8 for treatments beyond hair removal.
What is the Fitzpatrick scale and how do I work out my skin type?
The Fitzpatrick scale divides skin into six types, from I (very fair, always burns, never tans) to VI (very dark, practically never burns). What matters is not colour alone but how your skin reacts to the sun. You can work out your type with a few questions: how quickly do you burn when unprotected, how much do you tan afterwards, and what are your eye colour and natural hair colour? Assessment is made on untanned skin, for example on the inner upper arm.
For any laser treatment, the skin type is the basis of the settings, because it shows how much melanin the epidermis contains. For this, the DEWEON 4LD has an AI skin analyser that selects wavelength and energy automatically.
Which laser is suitable for very fair skin (skin types I and II)?
For very fair skin, the 755 nm alexandrite laser is the first choice, provided the hair is dark blonde to dark. Fair skin contains little melanin, the light reaches the hair almost unhindered, and the skin tolerates comparatively high energy. With types I and II, the difficulty rarely lies in the skin but in the hair: many people have blonde, reddish or very fine hair with little pigment.
On fair skin, the AlexDUAL UFO works with the alexandrite laser and also picks up finer hair. The VCL DERMALIGHT, an LED system with 750 to 890 nm, is intended for light, blonde hair and vellus hair. Red, grey and white hair barely responds to light and laser.
For skin types III and IV, diode and alexandrite lasers work well, but the energy has to be dosed more carefully than on fair skin. These types tan easily and usually have dark hair, so the contrast between skin and hair is favourable. At the same time, the epidermis contains more melanin, especially after sun exposure. Type IV is the borderline: untanned, it tolerates 755 or 808 nm, while with a residual tan longer wavelengths are the safer choice, and a fresh tan is left to fade first.
With 755, 808, 940 and 1064 nm, the DEWEON 4LD offers four wavelengths, and its AI skin analyser selects wavelength and energy automatically. In addition to the alexandrite laser, the AlexDUAL UFO has an Nd:YAG laser with 1064 nm on board, in case the skin is darker than expected.
Skin types V and VI: which lasers are suitable and which are ruled out?
Lasers with a long wavelength are suitable, above all the 1064 nm Nd:YAG laser. Short-wavelength lasers and broadband light systems are ruled out. In types V and VI, the epidermis holds so much melanin that it becomes a target itself. Alexandrite light at 755 nm and broad-spectrum flashlamps release too much energy there, and there is a risk of burns and pigment spots.
For studios, this means that anyone who wants to treat dark skin types needs 1064 nm in the device. The AlexDUAL UFO has the Nd:YAG laser on board for this, and the DEWEON 4LD offers 1064 nm as one of its four wavelengths. The DERMAFORCE BBL PRO is intended for skin types I to IV and is not used on types V and VI.
Why is melanin in the epidermis the limiting factor in laser treatment?
Because the laser does not distinguish between the melanin in the hair and the melanin in the epidermis: both absorb the same light. On its way to the hair root, the beam must first pass through the epidermis. The more pigment there is, the more energy is already converted into heat at the surface, and the less arrives below. The epidermis therefore determines how much energy may be used before redness becomes a burn.
The whole technology is therefore aimed at protecting the epidermis: longer wavelengths, adjusted pulses, and cooling directly on the skin. The DEWEON 4LD offers wavelengths from 755 to 1064 nm and cools through a sapphire at the handpiece down to minus 50 °C.
For Asian skin, diode lasers are suitable and, depending on skin tone, alexandrite or Nd:YAG lasers, in each case with conservative energy settings and good cooling. East Asian skin is mostly type III to IV, South Asian skin often IV to V. The hair is dark and responds well. The particular feature is that this skin reacts to heat and irritation more readily with dark spots, even when it looks fair. This is why the actual type counts, not the first impression.
With four wavelengths, the DEWEON 4LD is designed for all skin types and selects wavelength and energy via the AI skin analyser. The AlexDUAL UFO offers alexandrite for the lighter and Nd:YAG for the darker skin tones.
Which laser hair removal suits Mediterranean, Turkish and Arab skin?
Devices with several wavelengths are the best match, because this skin usually lies between type III and V and changes noticeably over the year. It tans quickly and deeply, and in winter it may need a different setting from late summer. The hair is often dark, dense and coarse, which are good conditions for a clearly visible result. On the chin, neck and abdomen, hormonal hair growth is often involved, in which case more sessions and top-ups are usual.
The DEWEON 4LD works with 755, 808, 940 and 1064 nm and is designed for all skin types. The AlexDUAL UFO combines alexandrite for the lighter and Nd:YAG for the darker skin tones in one device.
Can black skin (skin type VI) be treated safely with a laser?
Yes, with 1064 nm, long pulses, cautious energy settings and strong cooling, skin type VI can also be treated. Black skin has the highest melanin content, so the margin between effective and excessive energy is small. A test patch, gradual increases in energy and a few more sessions than on fair skin are usual. Pigment changes are more noticeable on very dark skin, especially light patches. On the other hand, curly, coarse hair responds well, and anyone who suffers from ingrown hairs often notices an improvement early on.
For skin types V to VI, the AlexDUAL UFO uses the Nd:YAG laser with 1064 nm, and its pulses can be extended to 100 ms.
What applies if my skin tone lies between two Fitzpatrick types or I am of mixed heritage?
In that case, the settings are based on the darker of the two types, and a test patch is used to check how the skin reacts. The Fitzpatrick scale is a grid of categories, and many people fall in between. With mixed heritage, appearance often does not match reaction: skin can look fair and still darken strongly afterwards or be prone to pigment spots. More informative than a look in the mirror are your reaction to the sun and the skin tones in your family. In addition, the underarms and the intimate area are often more darkly pigmented than the rest of the body.
With the AlexDUAL UFO, the SIA AI, using cameras on the handpiece, sets skin type, body area and energy automatically. The DEWEON 4LD selects wavelength and energy via its AI skin analyser.
Tanned skin or naturally dark skin: what is the difference for the laser?
Naturally dark skin is stable and easy to assess; a fresh tan is not. This is why tanned skin is often the greater risk for the laser. With natural pigmentation, the melanin is evenly distributed and the setting can be matched to it. After sun exposure, the pigment cells are activated, the skin is often still irritated, and it reacts more quickly with pigment spots or burns. Someone with type II who is tanned is therefore not simply treated like type IV, but waits until the tan has faded.
The AlexDUAL UFO treats naturally dark skin with the Nd:YAG laser, which is intended for skin types V to VI. With four wavelengths up to 1064 nm, the DEWEON 4LD covers all skin types.
Why are longer wavelengths and longer pulses safer on dark skin?
Longer wavelengths are absorbed less by the melanin of the epidermis, and longer pulses give the epidermis time to dissipate heat. Absorption by melanin falls steadily from 755 through 808 to 1064 nm, so less energy is left at the surface. The second lever is time: the thin epidermis cools within a few milliseconds, while a thick hair needs many times that. If the energy is spread over a long pulse, the skin stays below the critical temperature while the hair continues to heat up.
The DEWEON 4LD allows pulses from 1 to 200 ms and cools via a sapphire down to minus 50 °C. The AlexDUAL UFO works with 0.3 to 100 ms.
What is the purpose of a test patch before laser treatment, and how is it carried out?
A test patch shows, on a small area, how your skin reacts to the planned setting before a whole body area is treated. The studio delivers a few pulses at an inconspicuous site in or next to the later treatment area, often at 2 to 3 energy levels. The reaction is assessed immediately afterwards: slight redness around the follicles is desirable, blisters or a grey discolouration are not. On fair skin, a wait of 24 to 48 hours is usually enough, while for skin types IV to VI 1 to 2 weeks is better, because pigment changes appear with a delay.
The result can be recorded in the device: the DEWEON 4LD includes a client management system with client data, treatment area documentation and shot counting.
How can dark and light spots (hyperpigmentation and hypopigmentation) be avoided after laser treatment?
The most effective measures are the right wavelength, a test patch, good cooling, 2 to 4 weeks without sun before the appointment, and a high sun protection factor afterwards. The risk is low on fair, untanned skin and rises with each skin type, with a tan and with excessive energy. Dark spots occur when heat or inflammation stimulates the pigment cells, light ones when pigment cells are damaged. Both usually recede over weeks to months, with light patches more slowly. Do not scratch off crusts.
The AlexDUAL UFO cools via compressor and quadruple cooling. With the Skin Analyzer Pro, pigment and redness can be assessed by AI and followed in a before-and-after comparison.
Does the automatic skin analysis in a laser device replace determining the skin type by hand?
No, it complements it, because the two capture different things: an automatic analysis can only assess what is visible on the skin at the moment of measurement, whereas the Fitzpatrick type describes how your skin naturally reacts to the sun. This predisposition also helps decide how easily pigment spots develop after heat, and it only shows up in conversation: sunburn and tanning, skin tones in the family, earlier reactions, medication, sun exposure in recent weeks. If the measurement and the history differ, the more cautious value applies.
With the DEWEON 4LD, the AI skin analyser selects wavelength and energy automatically. The AlexDUAL UFO sets skin type, body area and energy via the SIA AI, using cameras on the handpiece. The initial consultation, the test patch and observing the skin reaction remain your responsibility.
Does skin type also play a role in pigment treatment, fractional laser and RF microneedling?
Yes, for all procedures that work with light or heat, skin type determines the risk of pigment spots after treatment, though to differing degrees. The influence is greatest with broadband light aimed directly at pigment: the DERMAFORCE BBL PRO is intended for skin types I to IV. Fractional lasers target the water in the tissue rather than melanin. Here the inflammatory response is decisive, and non-ablative systems have the advantage. The TULIX works non-ablatively with 1927 and 1550 nm and is specified for all skin types.
Radiofrequency is largely independent of skin colour, because it heats tissue through the tissue's electrical resistance. The EUPHEUS M8 delivers it as RF microneedling via needles at an adjustable depth.
