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Assessing Skin Type

You may well have read or heard about the 16 Myers–Briggs personality types that psychologists and other mental health professionals use to understand patients' feelings and behavioral preferences. Now, Leslie Baumann, MD, a University of Miami dermatologist, has developed a skin-type classification system that can help practitioners understand and treat their patients' skin.

In a presentation at the 23rd annual scientific meeting of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery (AACS) in Phoenix in January, Baumann discussed the following four ways to classify skin:

• oily versus dry;
• sensitive versus resistant;
• pigmented versus nonpigmented; and
• wrinkled versus tight.

Baumann pointed out that in this context, "dry" means scaly skin; "sensitive" indicates that the skin is prone to acne and other blemishes; and "pigmented" does not refer to the Fitzpatrick skin-type classification, but rather means that the skin contains unwanted dark spots. She also said that wrinkled skin is primarily the result of environmental or behavioral factors such as sun exposure or smoking, rather than a congenital condition.

As with Myers–Briggs, combinations of the four main classifications lead to 16 different skin types. A patient can determine his or her skin type by taking the 45-question questionnaire that is contained in Baumann's book The Skin Type Solution (New York: Bantam Dell Publishing Group; 2006). Based on the classification, the patient can then take advantage of Baumann's advice for proper skin care.

Baumann and fellow presenter Suzan Obagi, MD, a Pittsburgh dermatologist, spent considerable time discussing the possible FDA ban on hydroquinone, a popular and effective lightening ingredient for dark spots in the skin. Their position is that the impetus for this action has come from a few cases of misuse of hydroquinone, and that it should remain on the market because it is by far the best product for this use. A recent blog by Baumann (www.skintypesolutions.com/blog/?p=36) provides more information on this topic.