After you’ve dressed in the morning and because you take great care of your skin, you apply a well-formulated sunscreen to the areas of your body that will be exposed to the sun. You are confident that the parts of your body covered by clothing are protected from the sun and therefore don’t need sunscreen. Think again. Just because some of your body is under wraps doesn’t mean it is protected from sun damage. While clothing can be an excellent form of sun protection, if the fabric is sheer, lightweight, or has any transparency (meaning it lets daylight through) it also lets the sun’s damaging rays through. “The most important determinant is tightness of the weave. Fabric type is less important. Thickness is also less important than regular weave. Protection drops significantly when the fabric becomes wet. Color plays a minor role with dark colors protecting [slightly] better than light colors. A crude test of clothing is to hold it up to visible light and observing penetration. The FDA defines clothing with an SPF rating as a medical device. One approved line of clothing with a SPF 30 or greater rating is Solumbra” (1-800-882-7860) (Source: eMedicineJournal, July 31, 2001, volume 2, number 7; and www. fda. gov).
Sun damage is not to be taken lightly, and lightweight clothing can be a problem. When in doubt, apply sunscreen all over and then get dressed.