Why My Kids (Mostly) Wear Long Sleeves in the Summer

As a dermatologist mom, people often assume my kids are covered in UPF clothing from head to toe every single day.

The truth? It's a little more nuanced than that.

Like most parents, I try to balance sun protection with real life. Not every outing requires the same strategy, and I don't believe parents need to stress over every minute spent outdoors.

When Short Sleeves Make Perfect Sense

If we're heading out for a quick stroller walk, spending an hour at the park, or my kids are at daycare for a short period outside, they're often wearing regular short sleeves.

In those situations, it's easy to apply sunscreen once before we leave the house. Since they'll be outside for a relatively short time, I'm not worried about keeping track of the 1–2 hour reapplication window or whether the sunscreen has worn off.

Sunscreen is a fantastic tool—and for many everyday situations, it's all you need.

But Longer Outdoor Adventures Are Different

When we're spending several hours outside, my strategy changes.

Think:

• A day at the beach
• Hiking in the mountains
• Long mornings at the playground
• Camping trips
• Lake days
• Outdoor sporting events

These are the days when I almost always reach for UPF 50+ long sleeves.

Not because sunscreen doesn't work—but because real life gets in the way.

Kids sweat. They splash in water. They roll in sand. They wipe sunscreen off with towels. And if you've ever tried to reapply sunscreen to a toddler who's happily running around, you know it's easier said than done.

Protective clothing gives me one less thing to think about.

The Areas I Worry About Most

As a dermatologist, there are certain spots I'm especially careful to protect.

The shoulders, upper back, and backs of the arms receive an incredible amount of sun exposure during childhood.

These areas are difficult to keep evenly covered with sunscreen throughout the day, especially once kids start swimming or playing hard.

A lightweight UPF hoodie covers those high-exposure areas continuously—without needing to remember when sunscreen was last applied.

I still apply sunscreen to exposed skin like the face, ears, neck, hands, and legs, but having the torso and arms covered dramatically reduces how much skin needs constant reapplication.

It's Not About Never Wearing Short Sleeves

My kids absolutely wear T-shirts.

They also wear swimsuits, run through sprinklers, and spend plenty of time outside just being kids.

The goal isn't perfection.

It's choosing the easiest, most reliable form of protection for the situation.

For short outings, a good layer of SPF30+ sunscreen alone is usually enough.

For long, high-UV adventures, I prefer to let clothing do most of the work while using sunscreen on the areas that remain exposed.

Why I Created Alpenshade

After years of diagnosing skin cancer—including melanoma in young adults—I wanted sun protection to feel easier for families.

I didn't want clothing that kids would complain about wearing. I wanted something lightweight, breathable, comfortable, and fun enough that they'd happily keep it on all day.

That's why we designed our UPF 50+ sun hoodies: so parents can spend less time chasing kids with a sunscreen bottle and more time enjoying the adventure.

Because the best sun protection is the one that actually stays on.

 

By Jenna Peart, MD 

Founder & Board Certified Dermatologist