Hats are cool. People who wear hats seem to always look seriously stylish. Think about who you know that looks great in a hat… most of the female members of the royal family, especially The Queen, Jamiroquai, Pharrell, Sarah Jessica Parker, Naomi Campbell, Johnny Depp and of course, our very own superstar hat wearer, Lady Wimbledon.
I, however look terrible in hats, mostly due to my oddly shaped, overfilled with science and mathematics cranium. Sadly the only hat I own is a novelty oversized sombrero from Cancun 2003 that I won at a Señor Frogs drunken dance off. I’m not sure if Mrs P was impressed or embarrassed!
But hats do have more than just a fun or aesthetic function. They will keep the direct sun off your scalp and face. A good thing considering that sunscreen loses its ability to protect the longer it’s on your skin, hence the need to continually reapply.
Keeping your skin covered is a good way to protect yourself from the harmful UVB rays of the sun. Hats go a long way to do this, just make sure they are wide brimmed and not full of holes. You will also tan more evenly on the face wearing a hat – remember to use a good sunscreen too.
But the sun is good for you and provides the much needed Vitamin D that food sources can’t provide enough of. Don’t worry sunscreen actually allows small amounts of sun to reach your skin for Vitamin D synthesis to occur. Vitamin D is a wonderful natural pick me up that elevates your mood and keeps your bones strong so don’t block it out completely. Australia has had a strict ethos of covering up and using lots of sunscreen that now has left many people with Vitamin D deficiencies. Remember their ‘slip, slop, slap’ campaigns? Scandinavian countries have been using Vitamin D supplements for many decades now due to their winters having such short days. I recommend Vitamin D in a spray. A squirt under the tongue and less Vitamin D is destroyed by your stomach and liver than tablets or capsules before it gets to where it’s needed. I suggest the Dlux 3000 spray or Vega Vitamins Everyday D spray – both are very good.
With so many amazing summer events happening, wearing a hat is de rigueur. Look stylish, match it up and have fun, just not a hat too big, you don’t want to upset the person sitting behind you. Even the players on court wear caps and visors. There is something quite sexy about pony tailed hair poking out the back of the cap. Hats aren’t just for the ladies either. Wimbledon Gent would look great in a Panama or Fedora, but please stay away from the Aussie outback look with hanging corks!
On a more serious note, skin cancer is a very common cancer that could be avoided from simply staying out of the strong sun and being sensible. Thinning hair or baldness definitely needs to be protected from the sun. Nobody wants a peeling scalp, age spots and sun damage.
Swimming and shady hats don’t really mix so make sure you have lots of water resistant sunscreen on before splashing around and reapply when you come out too. The water resistant Dermalogica Sport SPF50 is one of my favourites. It doesn’t leave your skin looking pale, it’s easily absorbed and has a nice ‘holiday’ fragrance!
Whilst hats help with sun protection, continue to regularly apply sunscreen and stay out of the strong midday sun.
So if you are going to be in SW19 this summer, don’t forget your sunscreen and wide brimmed hat. And, no, you can’t borrow my sombrero.
Our Health Blogger, Bhavash Padhiar is the founder of Amara Spa, a day spa and leading skincare centre in Fulham, London.
Visit: amaraspa.co.uk
Follow: @AmaraSpa
