Wear sun-protective clothing
Cover up with a wide-brimmed hat, UV-blocking sunglasses and tightly woven long sleeves when you are out in the sun.
- How often
- As needed
- Time
- Whenever you are outdoors
- Recommended for
- 29 factors
How to do it
- Wear a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, ears and neck. A baseball cap leaves your ears and neck exposed.
- Choose long sleeves and long pants or skirts in tightly woven fabric. A dry shirt protects better than a wet one.
- Wear wrap-around sunglasses that block both UVA and UVB.
- Seek shade, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daylight saving time, when UV is strongest.
- Still use sunscreen on skin that clothing doesn't cover.
Why it helps
Clothing is a physical barrier that doesn't wear off or need reapplying. For outdoor workers, gardeners and anyone on the water, it is the most dependable layer of sun protection.
Recommended for
Alabama
Long, humid summers, strong sun, and ticks most of the year.
placeAlaska
Months of low sun, deep cold and summer smoke from big wildfires.
placeArizona
Extreme desert heat, intense sun and a lung infection that lives in the dust.
placeArkansas
Tick country with humid summers and a strong southern sun.
hobbyBirdwatching and photography
Long walks outdoors with binoculars or a heavy camera around your neck.
placeCalifornia
Wildfire smoke, valley fever dust, inland heat and year-round sun.
placeColorado
Thin air, stronger sun, high-radon soil and summer smoke.
occupationConstruction worker
Heavy loads, heights, noise, dust and weather, every day.
occupationFarmer
Dawn-to-dusk physical work outdoors, around machines and animals.
hobbyFishing
Long hours by or on the water, in the sun, with hooks and knives.
placeFlorida
Heat and humidity most of the year, high sun, and mold after storms.
hobbyGardening
Kneeling, digging, lifting and pulling weeds for hours in the sun.
placeGeorgia
Humid heat, strong sun, southern ticks and radon around Atlanta.
hobbyGolf
A twisting swing repeated hundreds of times, plus hours in the sun.
placeHawaii
Tropical sun, volcanic smog on the Big Island and leptospirosis in streams.
habitIndoor tanning
Tanning beds, booths and sunlamps for a year-round tan.
occupationLandscaper
Mowing, digging and lifting outdoors in every kind of weather.
placeLouisiana
Gulf humidity, a long mosquito season and mold after floods.
placeMississippi
Long, humid summers, southern ticks and a strong Gulf sun.
placeNevada
Desert heat, high-elevation sun, and a soil fungus kicked up by dust.
placeNew Mexico
Thin air, intense sun, and well water that deserves a test.
hobbyRunning
Thousands of footstrikes a week, mostly through your shins, knees and feet.
hobbySkiing and snowboarding
Speed, twisting falls and long days in cold, bright mountain air.
placeSouth Carolina
Steamy summers, strong southern sun, and lone star ticks.
hobbySurfing
Paddling, cold water and hours of bright sun reflecting off the sea.
hobbySwimming
Thousands of overhead strokes, chlorinated water and wet ears.
placeTexas
Long, dangerous summer heat, strong sun, and mosquito season.
placeUtah
High elevation, intense sun on snow, and winter inversions.
placeWyoming
High, windy, sun-blasted country with radon under nearly every county.