There are a variety of skin colors in the world. In a single trip to the grocery store you may see people of all ethnicities, each person with their own unique skin-tone shade. If this is a commonly known fact, that we don’t all have the same shade of skin color, then why has only one shade been represented in the first aid field for years? 

TruColour is dedicated to providing bandages and products designed to blend in, whatever a person's skin color may be. We set forth on this mission using the Fitzpatrick Scale.

What Is the Fitzpatrick Scale?

The Fitzpatrick Scale, developed in 1975 by a man named Thomas B. Fitzpatrick, is a numerical classification system for human skin color. It was originally developed to estimate how different skin types respond to ultraviolet light. To this day, it remains an essential measurement method for dermatological research.

What Does it Mean for The First Aid Industry?

While this way of measuring skin tone proves to be an essential tool for research, it can also be a practical development for other fields, including first aid. For years, only one segment of this extensive scale was represented by bandages in the first aid industry - the pinkish-tan skin color of segment 2. While it is important to represent this segment, it is only one of six different segments, which means that five other segments of skin color are not being represented by this industry. 

If your unique skin color falls along the lines of type five or six, and you place a bandage designed for people who fall into segment two on a cut, then the bandage will be incredibly visible, as it will clash with your skin color rather than blend into it. When you consider the fact that bandages were designed to match human pigmentation and barely be noticeable when worn, this poses a dilemma of discrimination when a variety of colors fail to be represented. 

However, when the first aid industry uses the model of measurement posed by the Fitzpatrick Scale, there is a significant opportunity. With this framework, it is possible to better represent previously neglected demographics by using this model to create bandages that expand over all six segments instead of representing only one. This allows bandages to practically work as designed, protecting cuts without standing out significantly, for people of all skin types. 

Using this model, TruColour has created a variety of options so that any person looking for a bandaid that blends into their unique skin color, will have a wider and more specific variety to choose from. 

Which Segment Are You?

Are you curious about where you might fall on this scale? This chart can help you identify which segment you might fall into, and which TruColour bandage bag would best blend to your skin tone. 

Traditional bandages have failed to represent more than one segment of this intricate and diverse scale for years. If you are looking for a bandage that will blend into your unique skin tone, shop our skin tone bandages today. We are continually working to help ensure that every skin-tone shade is represented by the first aid industry.