What a Hat Can Do for You

When did hats become an optional accessory? Was it in the last half century during the cultural revolution in the U.S? Or when the fashion industry stopped including them as part of an outfit? Or when hair care product brands received obsessive marketing attention? These are questions without definite answers, but we know the true value of a hat goes beyond style and fashion. There is a connection between UV rays and the need for protection against them, and the hat, from time immemorial, is the item serving the latter purpose.

Protecting against the elements harmful to our skin requires action to prevent premature wrinkles, sagging, and age spots. Cosmetic surgery seeks to make the corrections, but its success depends on each individual.  Hat wearing, with UPF, and even without, is an easy solution to prevent or retard certain skin cancers. The lifetime risk of acquiring melanoma is estimated to be about 1 in 8. The statistics are scary, as the following shows:

·         1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70.

·         More than two people die of skin cancer in the US every hour.

·         Having 5 or more sunburns doubles your risk for melanoma

·         The annual cost of treating skin cancers in the US is estimated at $8.1 billion, about $4.8 billion for nonmelanoma skin cancers and $3.3 billion for melanoma. 1

Good news – when detected early, the 5-year survival rate for melanoma is 99%.

So, protect yourself from the sun, the cold, the wind, the rain, wear a hat. Looking stylish at the beach, at soccer games, at any outdoor event, only requires your selected headwear accessory. A cap, a broad-brimmed hat, a tightly woven fedora, a bucket hat, a boater topper, make acceptable choices.  A hat protects your face and neck, upper shoulders, tops of ears, and upper back, and of course, a bald head. Complement with fashionable, functional sunglasses. It is a worthwhile investment. Look out for you!

1 www.skincancer.org