Understanding the defensive measures that bees will take when threatened is paramount as a first step when the thought of working with bees appeals to you. I've never seen a beekeeper enter a hive without their beekeeping suit, and it's of vital importance to do so.
Although lots of people are allergic to bee stings, those people only know because they were stung first by a bee. If you're determined to start beekeeping, you will need to find out whether you are indeed allergic to bees first. Even the most seasoned of beekeepers do get stung every now and then, regardless of how careful they are. There are some beekeepers who stand by the fact that the bodies immunity to the swelling caused by bee stings is made stronger if a few stings are experienced each year. The venom in a bee sting causes the body to develop the necessary antibodies to counteract the effects. Over time, the more stings one gets, the greater the resistance also.
But no one really wants to be stung too often so this is why beekeepers will employ the use of a suit, hat and veil and gloves for the majority of the time. Some beekeepers are known to forgo the gloves as they can be cumbersome when performing intricate tasks when working with bees. But if one is stung on the hand, the fingernail can be used to brush it off in most cases. If this is done fairly quickly, the amount of venom received by the body will be lower. The face and the neck are most prone to attack though, as bees are drawn to the breath. The face is extremely sensitive compared to the rest of the body, and as a result, the pain and swelling will certainly be acute. Unlike removing a sting from one's hand, it's far more difficult to remove a sting from one's face, as a mirror will be required. As you can see, it's vital to be adequately protected when working with bees when an attack can be mostly directed at the face.
The beekeeping suit is full-length attire and must be worn at all times within the beehive. It's light in color, typically white, and is constructed of smooth and glossy fabrics. Because darker colored animals like bears and racoons prey on bees, the light-colored suit acts to "camouflage" the beekeeper from the colony. The beekeeping suit also provides the beekeeper a convenient method of removing stings and venom by simply tugging on the cloth. Wearing protective clothing can also help to impede the venom from entering into the body. When stings are left in the fibers of the suit, they will continue to release the "alarm" pheromone that induces hostile behavior and repeated attacks from the colony. To reduce this likelihood when next entering the hive, wash the suit regularly. Also rinse the hands with vinegar. This will result in even less attention from the bees.