Protection from the sun

To stop your skin from ageing and developing wrinkles and to prevent other sun damage you need to dress carefully before going out in the summer sun.

The parts of the body which people leave to receive the full force of the sun's rays are the face, neck, arms and legs. Not suprisingly the face is burned more often than any other part of the body. People also suffer more burns on their legs, arms and shoulders than anywhere else on the body. These are also the places where people most commonly develop melanoma.

So before you go out in the sun, make sure you have clothing or a hat to protect your face, ears, nose, shoulders, trunk, arms and legs. Just as important, check that any children you are caring for have followed the "Slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, slap on a hat and wrap on some sunglasses" rule.

People often ask what type of fabric is best for sun protection. On the whole, most cloth will give you protection from the sun, but there are some guidelines for choosing the best type of fabric.

Weave

The weave is most important and tightly woven fabrics are better than loosely woven ones.

Colour

Darker fabrics give better protection than light coloured ones.

Weight

A less important factor, though heavier fabrics let less UV radiation (UVR) through. But lightweight, tightly woven fabrics can provide good protection.

Stretch

Most woven fabrics don't stretch much, but ones which do stretch will offer less sun protection.

Wetness

Wet fabrics may only give half as much sun protection as when they are dry.

Special sun protective clothing

If you want a guarantee that clothing gives good sun protection there is a new standard for fabric, AS/NZS 44399:1996.

Clothing which has met this standard will carry a label giving an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF)/ UPF15 to 24 is rated as good protection, UPF25 to 39 is rated as very good protection and UPF 40 to 50, 50+ is rated as excellent protection.

Don't forget your hat

A Cancer Society survey of people who were outdoors during summer weekends last year showed that more people were sunburned around the head and face than any other part of the body. The best way to avoid a sunburned face if you are outdoors is to wear a good hat.

You need sunscreen for your face also, applied thickly, before you go out in the sun. But unfortunately, sunscreen will wear off and sweat off. You need to re-apply it frequently. Many of those who use sunscreen get burned, probably because they rely on it too much and use too little of it.

Choosing good hats

When choosing hats, here are some things to remember:

• make sure the hat is made of a tightly woven fabric which doesn't let the suns rays through
• choose a hat which shades your face, nose, neck and ears
• make sure it feels comfortable - cool, but firm around the headband
• a darker colour will keep out the sun's rays better
• you'll need a hat that stays on in the wind
• a brimmed hat or cap with flaps offer the best protection (7cm brim for children, 10 cm for adults)
• if you wear a cap, protect the ears and neck with hair, collar, bandanna or sunscreen
• the occasion dictates the style of hat - you may need more than one.

Lastly, make your hat a fun part of summer, and choose something which you like and feel good wearing.

Related topics

What is melanoma? See Melanoma

Original material provided by the Cancer Society of New Zealand. Edited by everybody.