Using clothes *all time* at the beach to avoid sunburn: is that overprotection?

[carlosivanchesnevar]

Dear doctors,

I have a 7 year old daughter, with skin type 2. My wife and I take very much care at the beach
of she getting suncream protection (50 or 60 SPF, every 2 hours).  
We never let her under the sun between 10AM and 4.30PM.

My wife insists on the fact that my daughter should use a cotton t-shirt and leggings *all the time*  when she is under  the sun at the beach, or insider the water, independently of the time.
She claims (wanting to protect her) that this provides  an extra protection that cannot be achieved
by just using suncream.

However, in my view having clothes on top of a 60 SPF suncream is somehow excessive and uncomfortable
for my kid (and as far as I know, cotton t-shirts add only an extra 7 SPF, even less when the t-shirt is wet).

Of course, I want to protect my daugther from UVA and UVB  rays, but do not want to over-protect her or
making her feel that going to the seaside implies being dressed on top of her swimming suit.

Am I right in my view ?

Some clarification from a dermathologist would be highly appreciated.

Best wishes!

Carlos.-

[carlosivanchesnevar]

Thank you very much for your comment!! I'll take it into account.

[tschock]

It's great that you are worried about your daughter!
I tend to lean more towards your view than your wife's.
Let your daughter play without the added clothes for awhile.
After an hour or so, check for tan lines. If you can see any redness, throw the clothes back on or at least get into the shade.
SPF 60 should be good enough, but fair skinned people do need to limit their exposure.
If she has brown eyes, make sure she wears sunglasses. Brown-eyed people actually need more eye protection than others. Weird or what? lol