Wear sun protective clothing, including a long-sleeved shirt, pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses year-round.

While sun protection clothing is a relatively new concept in the United States, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Dermatology and the Skin Cancer Foundation along with most organizations concerned with skin care recommend it as the first and most important method of sun protection.

The protection is reliable: both consistent and constant. It does not fade or wear off during the day. The protection is less expensive as clothing is bought only once and will last many seasons or until outgrown. The protection is not messy, and it reduces the amount of sunscreen needed on exposed areas. (This is particularly appealing to mothers of young children and to men). And protection is provided for both UVA and UVB.

There are many places to buy sun protective clothing. However, you should always check the labels as not all materials offer the same protection. Labels should tell you the UPF (Utraviolet Protection Factor) of each garment and the best are rated UPF 50+

Hats are an important part of sun protection. However, studies show that for effective protection a hat must have a three-inch brim all the way around. Baseball caps offer no real protection. There are several strong manufacturers, including Coolibar, of sun protective hats.

Sunglasses protect against melanoma of the eye and macular degeneration. They should be worn whenever you are outside, even when it is cloudy. Darker color lens generally offer better protection than light colored lens. However, check the label for levels of protection. If there is now label, do not assume the glasses will protect your eyes from UVR. See sunglasses for more information.