Like different hair types, every skin type calls for its own type of tender love and care. While all complexions require moisture and sun protection, some demand a bit more attention to stay looking and feeling their best. Specifically, fair skin tends to be on the more finicky side, often falling prey to burns, blemishes, premature aging and overall irritation. Knowing that’s a combination of skin-care concerns that no one wants to wrestle with day in and day out, we chatted with a few skin experts to get the full run-down on pale skin. Ahead, learn everything there is to know about fair skin.
Featured Experts
- Dr. Deborah Longwill is a board-certified dermatologist in Miami
- Dr. Chet Mays is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Louisville, KY
- Marisa Garshick, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in New York
- Jennifer L. MacGregor, MD is a board-certified dermatologist in Washington, D.C.
What Is Fair Skin?
When we talk about fair, pale and light skin, we’re really talking about where your complexion lies on the Fitzpatrick skin scale. Fair skin is classified as skin type I, the lightest of the six prototypes. According to Louisville, KY, plastic surgeon Chet Mays, MD, scales were developed to standardize what treatments and energy levels are appropriate for a given skin tone when treating with lasers. “The scale helps us to determine the effectiveness of lasers on the different skin types,” Dr. Mays explains. “The strength of the laser used is determined based on the skin’s reaction to the light, similar to how different skin types react to the sun. It’s one of the first steps in determining the proper treatment and energy used to help you reach your skin-care goal.”
The History of Fair Skin and Its Role in Conventional Beauty Standards
In the West, fair skin has historically been considered the ideal. Racism and discrimination have long played a part in creating this beauty standard, proliferating an entire industry of skin-lightening products. It’s only recently (in the past 25 years or so) that the popularity of the tan has put that kind of pressure (albeit a tiny fraction in comparison) on those of us with very pale skin.
All this to say, no matter your skin tone, you will face pressure to conform to a beauty norm or standard from the world and industry, one way or another. But if you prioritize the health and wellness of your skin, regardless of its complexion or tone, you’re sure to glow. Ahead, we turn all eyes toward fair skin, its common characteristics and how to care for it.
The Characteristics of Fair Skin
Fair skin is easy to identify, as it’s the lightest classification on the Fitzpatrick scale. People with fair skin tend to look very pale or white. Still, if you’re unsure if your complexion can be classified as fair, consider the common characteristics of fair skin, below.
- Burns easily
- Features prominent freckles
- Shows the signs of aging, like dark spots, relatively early
- Wrinkles tend to be more on the surface as opposed to deeper creases
- Can be sensitive
- Blemishes, rashes and injury are very apparent
- Enlarged pores
Of course, not all fair skin is created equally. With that in mind, ahead, learn how to care for fair skin overall, as well as how to cater to certain fair complexion concerns.
How to Care for Fair Skin
As a general rule of thumb, people with fair skin require the utmost sun protection. “It is important that those with fair skin use sunscreen regularly and also practice other sun protection measures such as seeking shade, wearing a wide-brimmed hat and UV protective clothing,” says New York City dermatologist Marisa Garshick, MD.
Committing to regular sun protection is not only beneficial in the prevention of fair skin burns but also in the development of premature signs of aging. “Since fair skin may be more susceptible to UV damage, it may be more likely to show signs of skin aging, including photodamage, sun spots, fine lines and wrinkles,” Dr. Garshick explains. “For this reason, it’s important to use sun protection but also to use other ingredients like retinoids that can help to prevent and treat signs of skin aging.”
Speaking of retinoids, potent skin-care ingredients can cause reactivity in folks with fair skin. Because of this, Miami, FL dermatologist Dr. Deborah Longwill, says it’s important to perform patch tests before applying any strong active ingredients. She also recommends reaching for gentler formulas overall, which means prioritizing anti-aging products with counter-irritant ingredients to hydrate and soothe skin while simultaneously treating it.
That said, if you know that your fair skin is super sensitive, Dr. Garshick says fully avoiding harsh ingredients is the best course of action. “For those with fair skin that is also sensitive, the skin may have a tendency to turn red or become dry or flaky,” she explains. “It is best to avoid harsh active ingredients and common allergens and irritants like fragrances.”
Keep reading to learn more ways to care for fair skin based on specific complexion concerns.
How to Care for Dry Fair Skin
Dryness in lighter skin can occur from a multitude of factors. While the sun is partially to blame, weather, lifestyle choices and even skin-care products can bring about dryness. When the outer layer of skin is void of water, the skin can’t protect itself as well, and dead skin cells make their way to the surface, giving way to flakiness.
Dry skin is not a problem limited to lighter skin, but it can become more of a problem as we grow older. Our skin starts to produce less sebum as we get older, meaning we have to work harder to keep our skin hydrated and moisturized—especially if we don’t want premature signs of aging to pop into view. “Especially for those with dry and fair skin, wrinkles may be more visible superficially,” Dr. Garshick warns. “For this reason, it can help to keep the skin hydrated using products containing hyaluronic acid, which may help to plump the skin and nourish the skin.”
In other words, dry fair skin (and its premature aging side effects) can be alleviated with the right moisturizer. Retin-a will also help to regulate the pace at which the surface cells turn over, eliminating the amount of dryness and superficial lines. Just remember to look for an ultra-gentle formula and be sure to patch test it before applying it to your face.
How to Care for Fair Skin With Fine Lines
The lighter the skin, the less melanin there is, which increases the amount of UV light that’s absorbed, breaking down collagen. That means fair-skinned people can show signs of age faster than those with more melanin and a deeper skin tone.
If you’re trying to stave off the arrival of fine lines, the most important factor is consistently using sunscreen. Fair-skinned people are more susceptible to visible sun damage, but that doesn’t mean only people with light skin should protect themselves from the sun. No matter the skin tone, you are vulnerable to the development of skin cancer from UV exposure. Protecting your skin from the sun will help retain your skin’s youthful look and complexion.
When it comes to treating fine lines, especially around the eyes and in between the eyebrows, neuromodulators are the go-to solution. These injections relax the muscles that cause lines to appear, in turn smoothing out the skin. “If the lines are coupled by changes in the texture of the skin, like crepiness, then we need to remodel and rebuild the collagen with something like IPL or laser resurfacing,” explains Washington, DC, dermatologist Jennifer L. MacGregor, MD.
How to Care For Freckled Fair Skin
“Brown spots and freckles are directly related to sun exposure from the past, which shows up years later,” says Dr. MacGregor. Since the skin can’t naturally defend itself against the sun, Dr. MacGregor says it attempts to protect itself by producing melanin, causing freckles and pigmentation.
Again, in preventing the formation of these problem spots, it’s important to stay on top of sun protection. That’s not just for your face but for your whole body. Age spots can appear anywhere sun exposure is common, so you need to protect all of your skin.
If you are struggling with age spots and freckles on your skin, consider starting with skincare.
Topical retinoids used in tandem with brightening creams can help to lighten discoloration, but sometimes, something more intense needs to be used, especially if the spots are large and dark. “We can treat those with IPL or lasers, which use energy and light to break up pigment,” says Dr. MacGregor.
How to Care for Fair Skin With Enlarged Pores
People with fair skin often complain of having enlarged pores. In reality, Dr. Garshick says that the pale skin type simply makes pores more visible. “Pores may not necessarily be enlarged in those with fair skin, but those with fair skin may find blackheads to be more noticeable,” she explains, noting that true enlargement tends to occur in oily skin types.
To address the appearance of enlarged pores, you can add a gentle chemical exfoliating treatment to your routine, such as a glycolic or lactic acid serum. These alpha hydroxy acids will bust through built-up dirt and debris, ridding your pores of blackheads. If that doesn’t work, book an appointment with your dermatologist for the best next steps. They may suggest a facial with extractions or, if you truly have enlarged pores, a microneedling, laser, or radio-frequency treatment may be advised.
Looking for a quicker fix? Dr. Longwill suggests at-home clay masks and pore-minimizing products. Some popular options include the Caudalie Pore Minimizing Instant Detox Mask ($42), Innisfree Super Volcanic AHA Pore Clearing Clay Mask ($16), and Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Shrink Wrap Overnight AHA+PHA Pore Treatment ($46).
How to Care for Irritated or Injured Fair Skin
Oftentimes, people with fair skin mislabel their skin as sensitive when, in reality, it’s just reactive or prone to redness after being touched. “Those with fair skin tend to experience post-inflammatory erythema, which is residual redness that can persist after developing an injury to the skin,” Dr. Garshick says. “While many cannot be avoided, it is especially important to avoid squeezing or popping pimples as this tends to increase the potential for redness and blemishes.”
The Takeaway
The most important thing to remember when living with and caring for fair skin is just how susceptible it is to burning, as excess sun exposure can trigger just about every other fair skin concern.
“For this reason, it is most important to wear broad-spectrum sunscreen every day that is at least SPF 30 or higher,” Dr. Garshick emphasizes, noting that her go-to’s are the SkinMedica Essential Defense Everyday Clear™ Broad Spectrum SPF 47 Sunscreen ($40) and First Aid Beauty Weightless Liquid Mineral Sunscreen with Zinc Oxide SPF 30 ($36).
Psst: If the idea of regularly reapplying sunscreen from head to toe sounds exhausting, streamline your fair skin protection with UPF clothing, like the Lilly Pulitzer UPF 50+ Skipper Popover ($98), Lilly Pulitzer UPF 50+ 27″ Lillabeth Pant ($128), and Solbari Ultra Wide Brim Hat UPF50+ ($65).
