What Kind of Clothing Should Be Worn to Better Protect the Skin from the Sun?

Clothing is the most effective form of photoprotection.

Technical clothing designed for professional athletes competing in water sports—often customized by individual teams—is specifically engineered to provide comfort, breathability, protection against repeated minor trauma, and effective solar UV protection.

Readily available from sporting goods retailers, these garments are usually labelled with their Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF), a standardized rating determined according to internationally accepted testing methods.

Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF)

UPF Level of Protection
15–24 Good
25–39 Very good
40–50+ Excellent

Specialized retailers can provide valuable advice when selecting appropriate technical clothing.

For people who enjoy sailing, canoeing, kayaking, surfing or windsurfing recreationally, clothing is often chosen for comfort or appearance rather than for its protective properties.

What should be recommended?

First, the composition and weave of the fabric play a crucial role. In practical terms, fabrics may be ranked according to their UV protective capacity:

Tightly woven fabrics (for example polyester, twill, satin, or polyester–cotton blends) provide the highest level of UV protection, because their dense weave allows very little ultraviolet radiation to penetrate.
Lightweight fabrics with a relatively fine weave (such as cotton T-shirts or poplin) provide moderate protection.
Loosely woven or very lightweight fabrics (such as gauze or linen) provide minimal protection, since their open weave allows a substantial amount of UV radiation to pass through.

Colour and condition of clothing

Dark, intense colours—such as black, navy blue and red—generally provide greater UV protection than light-coloured fabrics.

Old, worn or stretched garments, as well as wet clothing, offer significantly less protection against solar radiation.

Body coverage

Whenever possible, clothing should cover large areas of the body, including long sleeves and long trousers, particularly during the hours of peak solar intensity.

Hats

Hats play an important protective role by shielding:

  • the scalp in individuals with thinning hair or baldness;
  • the face;
  • the neck, particularly when combined with a protective neck flap or bandana.

Sunglasses

Sunglasses should have a wrap-around design, fitting closely to the face in order to protect both the eyes and the eyelids from solar radiation, wind and water spray.

Quality should never be compromised, as the optical performance of the lenses is essential for effective UV protection.

The eyes and the skin are the only organs of the human body that interact directly with solar radiation. Over time, ultraviolet radiation can damage the visual system and contribute to the development of cataracts.