Hats, because they shade the sun-sensitive face, neck and ears, are a top priority, she adds. These are sometimes marketed as Outback or Booney styles. Baseball caps don't provide much sun protection. Gahring hopes that farmers, other outdoor workers and children will adopt new, more protective styles of head gear. She recommends hats of tightly woven fabric.
Dark colors offer more protection than light colors.
Straw and mesh hats are better than nothing, but are less effective than woven fabric hats. Some manufacturers offer hats and clothing of special sun protective fabric such as SolarweaveT and SolumbraT. These are highly protective, but any broad -brimmed fabric hat protects adequately, according to Gahring. New research suggests sunscreen alone isn't protective enough. While it may prevent burning when used properly, it may not prevent all of the long term problems linked to sun exposure. The best prevention is to use sunscreen along with protective clothing.