diff --git a/lib/types/avatar-types.js b/lib/types/avatar-types.js
--- a/lib/types/avatar-types.js
+++ b/lib/types/avatar-types.js
@@ -19,3 +19,9 @@
   | EmojiAvatarDBContent
   | ImageAvatarDBContent
   | ENSAvatarDBContent;
+
+export type UpdateUserAvatarRemoveRequest = { +type: 'remove' };
+
+export type UpdateUserAvatarRequest =
+  | AvatarDBContent
+  | UpdateUserAvatarRemoveRequest;
diff --git a/lib/utils/avatar-utils.js b/lib/utils/avatar-utils.js
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils/avatar-utils.js
@@ -0,0 +1,41 @@
+// @flow
+
+import t, { TInterface, TUnion } from 'tcomb';
+
+import { tRegex, tShape, tString } from './validation-utils.js';
+import { validHexColorRegex } from '../shared/account-utils.js';
+import { onlyOneEmojiRegex } from '../shared/emojis.js';
+
+const emojiAvatarDBContentValidator: TInterface = tShape({
+  type: tString('emoji'),
+  emoji: tRegex(onlyOneEmojiRegex),
+  color: tRegex(validHexColorRegex),
+});
+
+const imageAvatarDBContentValidator: TInterface = tShape({
+  type: tString('image'),
+  uploadID: t.String,
+});
+
+const ensAvatarDBContentValidator: TInterface = tShape({
+  type: tString('ens'),
+});
+
+const updateUserAvatarRemoveRequestValidator: TInterface = tShape({
+  type: tString('remove'),
+});
+
+const updateUserAvatarRequestValidator: TUnion<TInterface> = t.union([
+  emojiAvatarDBContentValidator,
+  imageAvatarDBContentValidator,
+  ensAvatarDBContentValidator,
+  updateUserAvatarRemoveRequestValidator,
+]);
+
+export {
+  emojiAvatarDBContentValidator,
+  imageAvatarDBContentValidator,
+  ensAvatarDBContentValidator,
+  updateUserAvatarRemoveRequestValidator,
+  updateUserAvatarRequestValidator,
+};
diff --git a/lib/utils/avatar-utils.test.js b/lib/utils/avatar-utils.test.js
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/utils/avatar-utils.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,122 @@
+// @flow
+
+import {
+  emojiAvatarDBContentValidator,
+  ensAvatarDBContentValidator,
+  imageAvatarDBContentValidator,
+  updateUserAvatarRequestValidator,
+} from './avatar-utils.js';
+
+describe('emojiAvatarDBContentValidator', () => {
+  it('should succeed for valid input', () => {
+    expect(
+      emojiAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'emoji',
+        emoji: '👍',
+        color: '4b87aa',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('should fail if type is incorrect', () => {
+    expect(
+      emojiAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'memoji',
+        emoji: '👍',
+        color: '4b87aa',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it(`should fail if emoji isn't valid`, () => {
+    expect(
+      emojiAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'emoji',
+        emoji: ':)',
+        color: '4b87aa',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it(`should fail if color isn't valid`, () => {
+    expect(
+      emojiAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'emoji',
+        emoji: '👍',
+        color: '#4b87aa',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+    expect(
+      emojiAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'emoji',
+        emoji: '👍',
+        color: '#4b87aa00',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('imageAvatarDBContentValidator', () => {
+  it('should succeed for valid input', () => {
+    expect(
+      imageAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'image',
+        uploadID: '123456',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('should fail if type is incorrect', () => {
+    expect(
+      imageAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'emoji',
+        uploadID: '123456',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it('should fail if uploadID is incorrect type', () => {
+    expect(
+      imageAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'image',
+        uploadID: 123456,
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('ensAvatarDBContentValidator', () => {
+  it('should succeed for valid input', () => {
+    expect(
+      ensAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'ens',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('should fail for incorrect type', () => {
+    expect(
+      ensAvatarDBContentValidator.is({
+        type: 'emoji',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
+describe('updateUserAvatarRemoveRequestValidator', () => {
+  it('should succeed for valid input', () => {
+    expect(
+      updateUserAvatarRequestValidator.is({
+        type: 'remove',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(true);
+  });
+
+  it('should fail for incorrect type', () => {
+    expect(
+      updateUserAvatarRequestValidator.is({
+        type: 'emoji',
+      }),
+    ).toBe(false);
+  });
+});