• Use suntan lotion with a sun protection How to select a sun-safe hat factor (SPF) rating of at least 15. Hats that shade the neck, ears and face are Sunlight can penetrate many lightweight or • Wear a hat and other clothing to shelter yourself from the sun. widely available in stores. One hat design open-weave materials. Fabric color and may not have all the features listed, and thickness also affects sunlight transmission. some features are mutually exclusive, or Canvas and other closely woven materials For additional information: some features may be more important to need air vents/eyelets to make the hat you than others. If you wear a baseball- cooler to wear in heat. Sea-grass or straw • American Cancer Society, Inc., Is it time style cap most of the time, it may be time hats may not need vents if they have an www.cancer.org/ • Consumer Choices: Shirts and Stuff for to change your hat. By selecting an appro- open weave, but an open weave offers less Sun Safety, ISU Extension, PM-1862. to change priate hat and wearing it regularly, you can sun protection. To give better shade, these • How Shady is Your T-Shirt?, ISU cut your risk of skin cancer. hats may have (1) a lining under the brim Extension, PM-1916. and crown or (2) a tighly woven brim and your hat? Fabric top-crown and an open-weave side-crown Hat fabrics may be labeled with claims for ventilation. about blocking the sun’s ultraviolet rays.

Prepared by Janis Stone, extension textiles and Alternative hat styles clothing specialist, Iowa State University, in cooperation with the American Cancer Society. ? No endorsement of products or firms is intended, nor is criticism implied of those not mentioned. Suggestions in this publication are intended to alert family members to sun safety, Hat styles differ in their ability to however, following these precautions cannot shade your face and protect you Suncrusher™: Eyelets guarantee protection from sun or skin cancer. allow air flow; front brim from sun. As we better understand is wider than back brim. the relationship between sun exposure and skin cancer, hat Backflap: A . . . and justice for all Booney: This lightweight The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all size-adjustable its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, design takes on new importance. fabric hat has a dark lining gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and cap with an marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) under brim to reduce eye Many materials can be made available in alternative formats for ADA attached flap clients. To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Office of Civil strain. Rights, Room 326-W, Whitten Building, 14th and Independence Avenue, shields neck SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call 202-720-5964. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, and ears. Outback: This canvas Sea-grass straw: Brim and crown 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Stanley R. Johnson, director, Cooperative Extension Service, Iowa State University of hat has a wide brim linings or close weaves help block the Science and Technology, Ames, Iowa. 01/2000 and chin strap. sun.

File: Textiles and Clothing 7; Health and Safety 2-1, 2-2 PM1683 Revised July 2003 Style Key design features A hat brim must hold its shape to provide As you consider a new hat, ask yourself You need the most protection at midday, 10 According to the American Cancer Society, shade for the neck and ears or a neck these questions: a.m. to 3 p.m., when UV rays are most severe. melanoma is 10 times more likely in covering may be attached to the hat. A hat Your exposure to UV rays increases 20 whites than blacks. The steady increase of also must stay on your head in the wind. Fit Does the hat have ... percent when reflected off a pool or lake, melanoma (3 percent each year since affects how well a hat stays on your head. — a wide, stiff brim (3 inches or more)? and you also can get a bad sunburn on 1981), suggests everyone needs to make cloudy days. better use of hats, clothing, and sunscreen. With some full-brim styles a chin strap — a design that does not interfere with may be helpful. The style of head-gear also side vision? Why worry about sunburns and With early detection and treatment, must be appropriate for work activities. — vents in the crown for air flow? skin cancer? survival rates increase. Basal cell and Hats that offer sun protection are seldom — an inside sweat band that’s comfortable? Severe blistering sunburn before age 18 squamous cell cancers are usually curable, appropriate for protection against pesticide — a secure fit to stay on your head? doubles the risk of skin cancer, which if detected early. The five-year survival rate exposure. — a chin strap? increases with age. According to the for melanoma is 89 percent. — an extended flap to cover your neck? American Cancer Society, more than one Size million new cases of basal or squamous Monitor your moles Hat styles are available in set sizes, adjust- Is the hat made with a ... cell skin cancer occur annually in the U.S. Most moles are harmless, but learn your able fit sizes, or “one-size-fits-all.” Baseball- — material that will block UV-a and UV-b The most serious form of skin cancer is ABCD’s to be alert for melanoma, which cap size can be adjusted easily, but theydo rays? melanoma, which will be diagnosed in might be suspected when a mole has: not shade the neck, ears and face. Some — dark lining under the brim to reduce about 54,200 persons this year. In 2003, an A—Asymmetry: One half doesn’t match the hat styles are constructed with an inside eyestrain? estimated 7,600 skin cancer deaths are other. predicted. Treatment may require surgery, B—Border irregularity: The outside edges elastic band to fit a greater number of — crushable, resilient material? radiation, or chemotherapy. are ragged, notched or blurred. individuals comfortably. C—Color variation: The skin pigment is Is the hat style ... Skin cancer is more common if you are not uniform, but shades of tan, brown, — practical for your work or other activi- • fair or light-skinned, black or red, white and blue. Common hat ties? • have a family history of certain moles, or D—Diameter greater than 6 millimeters 1 measurements — lightweight and comfortable to wear? • spend a lot of time outdoors in the sun, (about /4-inch) with any sudden or (measure around your head) — priced reasonably? whether for work, sport or leisure. continuing increase in size. — attractive in appearance? If your head your hat and is — one your friends will admire? Are all skin cancers the same? Make it a habit to ... measures ... size is ... considered — one you will want to wear regularly? No, five types are: • Examine your skin carefully, front and • Basal cell (most common and most likely back in a mirror every 6 to 8 weeks. Take

1 7 3 cured) note of any changes in your skin. 21 /2-21 /8 inches 6 /4-7 Small How can hats prevent skin cancer? • Squamous cell (it can spread, but is • Watch for sores that won’t heal, red

1 5 1 1 Many skin cancers occur on the face, neck highly curable) patches, scaliness, oozing, bleeding, or 22 /4-22 /8 inches 7 /8-7 /4 Medium and ears. A well designed hat can shield • Melanoma (5 percent of skin cancers, but change in appearance of a bump. Note

1 3 1 you from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet causes the most deaths) changes in sensation—itching, tender- 23-23 /2 inches 7 /8-7 /2 Large (UV) rays. By wearing an appropriate hat, • Kaposi's sarcoma (common in AIDS ness, or pain.

7 1 5 3 you can reduce your risk of disfiguring patients) • Consult your doctor for regular checkups 23 /8-24 /4 inches 7 /8-7 /4 Extra skin cancer. • Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and any time you are in doubt. Large