Editing Human skin color (section)

=== Fitzpatrick scale ===
{{Main|Fitzpatrick scale}}
The following list shows the six categories of the Fitzpatrick scale in relation to the 36 categories of the older [[Von Luschan's chromatic scale|von Luschan scale]]:<ref>{{cite book|first=Nina|last=Jablonski|editor-first1=Michael P. |editor-last1=Muehlenbein|title=Human Evolutionary Biology|date=2010|publisher=Cambridge University Press|isbn=978-0-521-87948-4|page=177|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1VXX1jkhPH8C |access-date=24 May 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Fitzpatrick Skin Type |url=http://www.arpansa.gov.au/pubs/RadiationProtection/FitzpatrickSkinType.pdf |publisher=Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency |access-date=24 May 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20160331085655/http://www.arpansa.gov.au///pubs/RadiationProtection/FitzpatrickSkinType.pdf |archive-date=31 March 2016}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Type !! Also called !! Sunburning !! Tanning behavior !! Von Luschan's chromatic scale
|-
| '''I''' || Light, pale white|| Always || Never || 0–6
|-
| '''II''' || White, fair || Usually || Minimally || 7–13
|-
| '''III''' || Medium white to light brown || Sometimes || Uniformly || 14–20
|-
| '''IV''' || Olive, moderate brown || Rarely || Easily || 21–27
|-
| '''V''' || Brown, dark brown || Very rarely || Very easily || 28–34
|-
| '''VI''' || Very dark brown to black || Never || Rarely || 35–36
|}

Dark skin with large concentrations of melanin protects against ultraviolet light and skin cancers; light-skinned people have about a tenfold greater risk of dying from skin cancer, compared with dark-skinned persons, under equal sunlight exposure. Furthermore, [[Black light|UV-A]] rays from sunlight are believed to interact with folic acid in ways that may damage health.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Vorobey |first1=P |last2=Steindal |first2=AE |last3=Off |first3=MK |last4=Vorobey |first4=A |last5=Moan |first5=J |title=Influence of human serum albumin on photodegradation of folic acid in solution |journal=Photochemistry and Photobiology |volume=82 |issue=3 |pages=817–22 |year=2006 |pmid=16454580 |doi=10.1562/2005-11-23-RA-739|s2cid=36351333 }}</ref> In a number of traditional societies the sun was avoided as much as possible, especially around noon when the ultraviolet radiation in sunlight is at its most intense. Midday was a time when people stayed in the shade and had the main meal followed by a nap, a practice similar to the modern [[siesta]].