Skin Types & Tanning Times: Finding Your Right Session
Your skin type decides how you should tan. Here's the Fitzpatrick scale in plain English, and how we use it to pace your sessions.
7 min readReviewed 19 June 2026
The biggest factor in a good, safe tan isn't the bed — it's your skin. How easily you burn, how deeply you go, and how long your sessions should be all come down to your natural skin type. Get that right and the rest follows.
Tanning professionals use something called the Fitzpatrick scale to talk about skin types. It sounds technical, but it's genuinely useful, and once you know roughly where you sit, everything about your tanning routine makes more sense.
The Fitzpatrick scale, in plain English
Developed by a dermatologist, the Fitzpatrick scale sorts skin into six types based on how it reacts to UV — from skin that always burns and never tans, to skin that rarely burns and tans deeply. It's the same framework skin specialists use, and it's the starting point for any sensible tanning plan.
Most people in the UK fall somewhere in the middle, but the extremes matter most, because they decide who should take it very slowly — and who genuinely shouldn't use a sunbed at all.
- Type I — Pale skin, often red or fair hair and freckles. Always burns, never really tans. Sunbeds are not suitable.
- Type II — Fair skin. Burns easily, tans minimally and with care. Needs very short, cautious sessions.
- Type III — Medium skin. Sometimes burns, gradually builds a tan. The most common UK type.
- Type IV — Olive skin. Rarely burns, tans easily and evenly.
- Type V — Brown skin. Very rarely burns, tans deeply.
- Type VI — Deeply pigmented skin. Almost never burns.
Why your type sets your time
Two people can lie on the same bed for the same number of minutes and get completely different results — one a gentle glow, the other sore and pink. That difference is skin type. The fairer you are, the less UV your skin can handle before it's had enough, so your sessions need to be shorter and built up more gradually.
This is why we never apply a one-size-fits-all time. When you buy your course in studio, we talk through your skin honestly and set a starting time that suits it — then adjust as we see how you respond. It's the difference between a tan that looks great and one you regret.
Building a base, then maintaining it
However deep you eventually go, the route there is the same: start low, build slowly. Your early sessions establish a light base tan, increasing gently only once your skin has shown it's comfortable. Rushing this stage is how people burn — and a burn sets your tan back, it doesn't speed it up.
Once you've built a base you're happy with, maintaining it takes less. Spacing sessions out and keeping them moderate holds your colour without overexposing your skin, which is exactly the balance we aim for with every regular.
When a sunbed isn't right for you
If you have very fair, Type I skin that only ever burns, sunbeds aren't for you — and we'll tell you so honestly. The same goes if you have a lot of moles, a history of skin cancer in the family, certain skin conditions, or you're taking medication that increases sensitivity to light. When in doubt, speak to your GP or pharmacist first.
Saying no when it's the right answer is part of doing this properly. We'd far rather give you straight advice than sell you a session that doesn't suit your skin.