When you shop for medical scrubs to wear for your healthcare job, you'll see a lot of shirts that have short sleeves. While this design is popular, you can expect to also see long sleeves on several garments—especially if you shop at a medical supplier that carries a large selection of scrubs. Short sleeves have several advantages, but you may want to seriously consider buying at least a few garments with long sleeves. They can be a good choice to wear for a number of different reasons, including the following:

Warmer

If you're the type of person who often feels chilly, wearing scrubs with short sleeves may not appeal to you. This can especially be true during the winter months. A garment with long sleeves will offer more warmth. Even though the material isn't insulated, the long sleeves will keep cool air from making direct contact with your skin. You may appreciate this extra warmth if you occasionally find yourself in cold working environments. For example, if you work in the emergency department of a hospital and occasionally have to meet ambulance attendants at the door, the gust of cold air that enters the building won't bother you as much when you have long sleeves.

Skin Concealment

The manner in which scrubs with long sleeves cover your arms can be favorable if you don't want your skin to be visible when you're at work. For example, if you have numerous tattoos on your arms and you know that your employer doesn't appreciate this look, scrubs with long sleeves can conceal your ink. Even if your employer isn't concerned about visible tattoos, you may simply feel better about covering them up when you're interacting with your patients. With short-sleeved scrubs, you'd need to wear a long-sleeved shirt beneath the scrubs to conceal the tattoos. When your scrubs have long sleeves, this extra garment won't be necessary.

Protection

In many medical jobs, you're at risk of coming into contact with all sorts of bodily fluids. For example, if you have a sick patient who is vomiting, it's possible that some of the vomit may get onto you. Wearing scrubs with long sleeves will help to protect your skin from direct contact with vomit and other substances. While you'll still want to change your shirt after such an incident, you'll likely appreciate not having a mess all over your bare skin. Shop for scrubs with long sleeves at a medical clothing supply store like Hospital Gowns.