Guest Post | Saving Face: Stylish Ways to Avoid Harmful UV Rays All Year Round

Marcus Anderson is a technician for a busy dermatologist in the city. He likes to help people by posting about what he has learned over the years on a variety of blogs.

(image: weheartit)

Whenever the summer approaches, the awareness of skin cancer suddenly intensifies. However, preventative measures should be taken throughout the entire year to best protect your skin. In fact, here are 3 stylish ways to avoid harmful UV rays no matter what season it is:

1. Wear tightly woven clothes.

If you want to protect your skin, it is highly recommended to wear long-sleeved shirts and pants whenever possible. By wearing more clothing, you can help deflect harmful UV rays. However, tightly woven clothes work better than thin cotton pieces.

It is also very important that you look for a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) label on any clothes that you purchase (especially if you are an outdoor athlete). The UPF indicates just how much of the sun's UV radiation can pass through the fabric. For example, a UPF of 30 will only let 1/30th of the UV radiation reach the skin. For your safety, the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends wearing items with a UPF of 30 or greater.

If you are worried about remaining stylish while wearing clothes with a UPF label, you don't have to be. Fortunately, there are many stylish items that come with UPF labels, including summer dresses, cargo pants, polo shirts, and more. Many clothes with UPF labels are also designed to keep water and sweat away from your skin, so you will additionally be kept dry and cool.

2. Wear wide-brimmed hats.

Wide-brimmed hats for women offer stylish protection from the sun. In fact, having an 3-inch brim will not only protect your face and scalp, but your neck and shoulders as well. Unfortunately, since people with melanoma to the head and neck are twice as likely to die than people with melanoma in other areas, it is absolutely crucial to protect your upper body with hats.

When choosing wide-brimmed hats to wear, you can play with a wide range of styles and colors. If you want a more formal floppy hat, you can choose silk varieties. Meanwhile, if you want something more casual, tightly woven straw floppy hats make excellent choices.

3. Wear sunglasses.

Sunglasses are great for keeping up to 99% of UV rays from entering your eyes. Although many people only wear sunglasses on sunny days, they should also be worn during overcast days as well.

For the best eye protection, you should consider wraparound sunglasses (also known as aviator sunglasses). Wraparound sunglasses fit snuggly on your head to provide both additional protection against UV rays and extra comfort. Choosing wraparound sunglasses with additional side shields on the stems is also very handy.

With so many different color sunglasses available, you can easily find different pairs to match with any wardrobe piece. To create even more visual interest, you can use sunglasses that conflict with your wardrobe color choices as well.

As you can see, protecting your face, head, neck, and shoulders is essential. By dressing appropriately and applying sunscreen as needed, you can help reduce the risk of skin cancer and remain stylish.

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