Our hat store is located in Australia and with that comes experiencing some of the highest UV radiation in the world.
Ultraviolet Radiation (UV) is invisible and is a natural energy that is produced by the sun. UV damages the DNA in skin cells and is cumulative, that being that your skin cancer risk increases overtime (alongside your risk for eye damage, wrinkles and various tumours).
It comes in two types; UVA and UVB.
UVA: is associated with skin aging
UVB: is associated with skin burning due to the shorter wavelengths than the former
The cancer council has outlined that sun-safe hats can be used to help combat the impact of the harmful UV rays and thus here is a shared guide to buying a hat that is sun smart.
Great hats for sun safety:
Broadbrim Hats
- Broadbrim hats are great because they shade the whole face (especially if they have dark lining to reduce the amount of UV radiation being reflected)
- Ideally brims should be at least 7.5 cm for adults for optimal sun protection
Bucket Hats
- These types of hats sit low on the head and have a deep crown.
- Ideally for an adult the brim should be 6cm or more for best sun safety practices
Legionnaire- Style Hats – The highest amount of sun protection a hat can provide.
- These hats stand out from the others due to having flaps that cover the back and side of the wearers face alongside a longer brim.
When it comes to children:
- Broad brimmed hats should have a brim of around 6cm for children and for those under 10 it should cover their whole face from the sun.
- Bucket hats should shade the entirety of a child’s face and have a 5cm brim
- Make sure that any chinstraps, cords, or other measures used to keep hats on children have a safety feature that removes the risk of posing as a choking hazard if the child becomes stuck. An alternative is to remove said straps before use to remove the risk all together.
Remember, in the words of the Cancer Council, to Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide. To our non-Australian readers, click here to see about the Australian initiative to reduce skin cancer and the impact of UV radiation.