Can You Tan Through Clothing?
Ultraviolet rays are particularly effective at penetrating various materials.
You might think that you are safe from sunburn wearing a cotton shirt while walking on the beach, but you could be putting your skin at risk of sunburn, even fully covered in clothing.
Can you tan through clothing?
The simple answer is yes, you can. While all materials are different, clothes should not be relied on to prevent the sun’s harmful rays from reaching your skin. When it comes to skin damage, UVB rays are primarily to blame. This specific type of ultraviolet radiation cannot penetrate most clothing, but UVA rays can, and they can cause damage to the skin.
Tanning Through Clothing – What You Need To Know
Most clothing offers protection of around SPF 4–7, but this is insufficient for extended periods in the sun.
However, there are ways to improve your protection when wearing clothes outside in the sun.
Matte Fabrics Absorb Less
Rather than wearing shiny synthetic fabrics, opt for matte fabrics. Shiny fabrics reflect the sun’s rays instead of absorbing them, which in no way helps reduce exposure to the sun’s harmful effects.
Wear Synthetics
Synthetic material tends to provide sun protection. The material is usually tightly knitted or woven, meaning less UV radiation passes through.
Choose to wear fabrics like Lycra, polyester, and acrylic instead of cotton when in the sun. Check the denier rating of a fabric to see how thick or tight the weave is.
Layer Up
If you can handle the heat, wearing a few layers of clothing helps reduce the skin’s exposure to the sun. Lighter materials can be layered to help protect your skin and still feel cool.
Keep Dry
Wetting your skin can reduce the material’s UPF protection. Keep dry to reduce your exposure.
Widen Your Hats
A cool-looking peak hat does not provide as much protection as a wide-brimmed hat.
The wider the brim, the more protection it provides for your forehead, ears, neck, and back. A baseball cap only offers limited protection for your forehead.
Wear Darker Colors
Wearing darker clothing in summer may make you feel hot on its own, but darker fabrics provide more protection than lighter pastels and whites.
The darker colors absorb the UV rays, which reduces UV exposure. Sun-protective clothing is usually made using darker dyes.
How Do You Tan Through Clothing?
Now that we have established that you can get sunburned through your clothing, it is essential to understand why and how it occurs.
Specific clothing offers varying levels of protection from the sun, and each item has its own SPF rating.
Three factors affect the UPF protection your clothes offer: material, weave, and color.
- Material – The more the material absorbs UV light, the more protection it offers. Materials such as polyester absorb more UV light than cotton, making them better suited for use in the sun.
- Weave – A tighter-woven material will let through less UV light than a loosely woven material. The less light that gets through, the less likely your skin is to be burned.
- Color – Darker colors absorb more UV light than light colors. Dyes absorb different frequencies of visible light and also absorb some UV light. Lighter-colored or white fabric lets through more UV light and therefore increases exposure to the sun.
The amount of UV light let through by your clothing will affect the damage done to your skin.
It isn’t a good idea to venture into the sun without any sun protection, such as sunscreen, as your clothes offer only limited protection.
Clothing Is Not Protection From The Sun
While you might be excited at the fact that you can now tan while strolling along the beach in full clothing, it isn’t necessarily a good idea.
You will still be able to burn through your clothing, and you could end up with skin damage.
Regular time spent in the sun without protection can lead to lasting damage to your skin, even when wearing clothes.
You don’t have to sit in your bikini under the flaming sun on a hot day to get sunburned; simply being in the sun with clothing on is enough to cause significant damage to your skin.
Don’t forget to always wear sunscreen, even on cloudy days, when spending time outdoors.
SPF vs UPF
Sometimes SPF and UPF can be confused with each other. UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) is the rating system used for the protection provided by fabric or material.
SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is the rating system used to measure the protection factor of sunscreens. When evaluating the protection your clothing offers from the sun, consider the UPF rating.
Stock Up On Protection
If you spend a significant amount of time in the sun, it may be worthwhile to invest in sun-protective clothing.
These items have a higher ultraviolet protection factor, up to UPF 50, which helps significantly reduce the amount of sun reaching the protected areas of the skin.
Sun-Protective Clothing
Fortunately, for those who spend a lot of time in the sun, sun-protective clothing is available.
Certain brands have been created specifically to cater to individuals who require higher clothing protection for outdoor activities.
These fabrics are densely woven and treated with UV-inhibiting ingredients that enhance their effectiveness in reducing exposure to the sun.
My absolute favorite brand of sun-protection clothing is Coolibar. You can check out the Coolibar storefront on Amazon.
They offer clothing for women, men, kids, and babies, so everyone in your family will be protected.
When considering sun-protective clothing, it is essential to remember that the more skin you cover, the less exposure your skin will have.
Long-sleeved or full-length swimming suits will provide more coverage and protect a larger surface area.
Dyes and fiber structures also play a role in determining the level of protection these specialized clothes provide, which is why most protective clothing comes in darker colors, such as black or indigo.
These colors are the most effective when absorbing UV rays.
Sun-protective clothing is designed for use during warmer weather. It is typically well-ventilated, featuring antibacterial properties that help prevent the growth of bacteria when the material becomes wet or when exposed to excessive sweat.
The material remains effective when in contact with sunscreen, and it is always advisable to wear sunscreen, even when covered by sun-protective clothing.
Related Questions
How do I determine the level of sun protection my clothes offer?
The best way to determine the UPF rating of your clothing is to read the label or tag. If you can’t find out this way, there is a quick fix to estimate how much light is getting through.
Hold your cloaca up to the sun, and you will be able to see how much light shines through the material. The more light let in through the material, the less UV protection your clothing has.
How do I make my clothes more UV-resistant?
There are ways to make your clothing more UV-resistant. There are off-the-shelf laundry detergents available for purchase that can increase the UV protection of clothing.
The detergents are sold either as optical brightener additives or as UV-absorber additives. Both increase the UV protection of your clothing.
Can I tan under a beach umbrella?
Many people believe that beach umbrellas provide sufficient protection from the sun’s rays, but this is not entirely true.
While beach umbrellas are typically made from a thick, woven material that blocks UV rays, this doesn’t account for scattered or diffused UV rays, which can be abundant in areas like beaches.
Will doesn’ten under clothing work?
Definitely yes. You should always wear a layer of sunscreen when you leave the house to spend time in the sun.
Some moisturizers and makeup have effective SPF ratings. Using these daily can drastically reduce the sun’s effect on your skin.
While you might not notice a little bit of sun exposure here and there, it does take a toll on your skin.
Does tan-through clothing exist?
Some costumes have been designed to be tan-through. This allows women and men to sit in the sun and tan their skin without having any tan lines.
This is a growing phenomenon, but it is not the best option for the skin. Excessive exposure to UV rays can cause permanent damage to your skin.
It is better to opt for a spray tan or self-tanner to get your desired look.
Keep Yourself Protected
Unless you are wearing a super-thickly woven denim bodysuit, you will tan through your clothing. Never underestimate the power of the sun, even in winter.
Instead, take the precaution of always wearing sunscreen and opt for clothing with a high UPF rating.
You will look back and thank yourself for it, and you will avoid any excruciating sunburn!
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