Head gear for sun protection: hats, scarves, masks etc.

Scarves

Keep a scarf or sunscreen with you at all times for unplanned exposures. Having a sun umbrella is also a handy tool. Wearing a physical face shield, such as a scarf and spending less time in the sunlight may be necessary on certain occasions such as when you are travelling closer to the equator or at higher altitudes.³ For additional protection on the face and neck and/or for those who can't use sunblocks, a hat with a drape that extends across the face, or a scarf used as a mask, may be a good answer.

Hats

Hats offer good sun protection for the head and for the eyes. Hats with a downward slanting brim will go far in protecting your face and neck as the sun approaches either horizon. Wearing a hat with a brim can reduce UV-B exposure to the eyes by 50%.²  The head and neck gets almost continual sun exposure even in winter. A hat brim of 4 inches or greater is recommended and you should make certain that the top and brim of a straw hat have sun-proof liners in place. Small-brim hats (less than 1 inch) provide a sun protection factor of 1.5 for the nose and minimal protection for the chin. Broadbrim hats (greater than 3 inches) provide  better protection than small brim hats (less than 1 inch). The worst hats are the baseball caps that have the transparent mesh backs for comfort. These are better than nothing, but obviously don't provide coverage for the ears, neck and vertex of the scalp.  

Don't forget about the neck! Long hair can provide sun protection. Some companies offer neck drapes with their hats. And French foreign legion hats also cover the neck.

There are lightweight plastic hats that are commercially available and designed specifically to provide a physical block to UV radiation (e.g., Sun Helmets [www.sunhelmets.com]).

Hats and SPF

There are lightweight plastic hats that are commercially available and designed specifically to provide a physical block to UV radiation (e.g., Sun Helmets [www.sunhelmets.com]). [Sun Protection and Sunscreens]

References:

1. Sun Protection and Sunscreens, University of Iowa Department of Dermatology, [Sun Protection and Sunscreens]

2. Ultraviolet Light: A Hazard to Children, PEDIATRICS Vol. 104 No. 2 August 1999, pp. 328-333, AMERICAN ACADEMY OF PEDIATRICS:    Ultraviolet Light A Hazard to Children

3 Marta Phillips, Sun-Smart Strategies for Lupus, Newsletter of the Lupus Foundation of America Inc, Volume 23 Number 2 Summer 2003 [The Lupus Group of WA]