Sun Protection Hat
For Your Safety, Comfort And Good Looks
Good sun protection hat protects your face and head, and plays an important role in your overall sun protection, i.e. combined with your sun protection clothing and sunscreen.
Sun Safety Tips
Why Wear Sun Protection Hat?
There are many good reasons for why you should wear sun protective hat. All sun safety tips recommend wearing them as it can reduce your risk of getting skin cancer but approximately one third of all skin cancer appears on the face.
Your sun hat can also protect you from getting heatstroke, but heatstroke occurs when the body fails to regulate its own temperature. Classic heatstroke can develop without exertion when a person is exposed to hot environment and the body is unable to cool itself effectively. Heatstroke is life threatening, requiring immediate emergency medical treatment.
Did You Know?
Sun poisoning is caused by severe sunburn; its' symptoms include fever, nausea, chills, dizziness, rapid pulse, rapid breathing, dehydration, and shock.
There are not only sun safety tips to consider. Sun protection hats can also help to keep you feeling cool and comfortable on hot days.
Good quality sun hat often have sweatband that wicks perspiration from the forehead. Some have mesh crown or mesh ventilation band that help to keep your head cooler (though might be best suited for those with thick hair, as the mesh may let some UV rays in).
One of the biggest cause of premature aging is cumulative damage of the sun over the years, so wearing good sun protective hat can play important role in your beauty regimen.
Good sun hat also protects your hair, as hair can get dry, brittle, and cracked from too much sun exposure.
What Makes Good Sun Protection Hat
The best sun protective hats, i.e. that give the maximum sun protection, should have a UPF rating of at least 50 and hat brim that is at least 3 inches (7.7 cm) or more. Any hat is though better than no hat at all.
The brim should ideally be angled downwards, i.e. to give you more hours of protection as the sun moves (ascends to descends) during the course of the day. Some people find wide brims distracting. If your sun hat has brim that is less than 3 inches remember to apply sunscreen on your face as well, i.e. add it generously and frequently.
Waterproof sun protection fabric is also preferable. And for travelling you should look for hats that you can easily pack in your luggage.
How to Choose
The Right Sun Protection Hat
What Are You Doing When Outdoors
The type of activities you are doing outdoors play an important role when deciding what kind of sun protective hat to go for.
For example, peripheral vision can be important for both your safety and performance, e.g. when playing golf or tennis. If you expect windy conditions, then you should choose a hat with chinstrap to help keeping your sun hat in place.
You might even want to wear sun visor or sun hat with mesh crown if you are undertaking outdoor activities that generate body heat (though only if you have full head of hair).
Your Hair
Your hair provides some protection against UV rays, so if you have full head of thick hair you can get away with wearing lighter sun hats, with mesh crown for additional cooling effect.
Those with less, or no hair, need to take more care in the sun and ideally wear their sun protective hats at all times when outdoors. They should stay away from mesh crown hats as they let some UV rays through.
If you have short hair, then your neck is exposed to the sun. Remember to apply sunscreen generously and frequently if not wearing sun protective hat with brim wide enough to cover your neck.
Look And Feel
Look and feel is important but do not forget what makes good sun hats, i.e. UPF rating of 50 or over and brim that is at least 3 inches and angled downwards.
There are plenty of good-looking sun protection hats available that fulfill these criteria so there is no reason to compromise on these important features.
The Right Size
It is important that your sun protective hat fit you correctly. Too big hat is though always better than too small hat as tight hat can give you headache... making you less likely to wear it.
To find the right size for you, measure the circumference of your head, just above your eyebrows. Use a flexible tape measure, or use a piece of string and measure it against a ruler. Refer to a size charts to convert your head measurement to the correct hat size.
All reputable on-line hat suppliers will show size chart to allow you to find the right size for your head.
Buying Sun Protection Hat On-line
Amazon offers good range of quality and good-looking Sun And Insect Protection Hats and clothes for women, made from sun protection fabric with UPF 50 rating or higher. They also offer good range of Sun Protection Hats For Men.
Don't forget read our article about the importance of Sun Protection Clothing for both sexes.