Caps off to sun smart hats

The Cancer Council says baseball caps do not give enough protection against the sun’s rays.

Scottie Simmonds

PARENTS across the Coffs Coast are being urged to send their kids back to school wearing a sun smart hat with recent Cancer Council NSW research showing thousands of students as young as five are being exposed to dangerous UV rays by wearing a cap to school.

One in two children across the state are sporting baseball caps to school despite the fact that they do not provide adequate sun protection, leaving kids' ears, cheeks and back of neck uncovered and exposed to cancerous UV rays.

The Regional Programs Coordinator at Cancer Council NSW Mid North Coast office, Adele Hayne, said it is concerning that many areas of the head such as the top of the ears are often overlooked when applying sunscreen.

"This is a very important issue and parents need to know the facts. Common sites of skin damage and skin cancer are the neck, temples, ears, lips, face and nose," Ms Hayne said.

"Baseball caps are not sun smart and they do not provide the right sun protection for our children. When choosing a hat for the purpose of sun protection, brims are best.

"A hat with a wide brim that extends all the way around the hat will help keep the sun off our children's faces as well as the neck, ears and back of the head," she said.

Ms Hayne said that with almost 250 people diagnosed with melanoma in the Mid North Coast each year, it was important that parents protect their kids and teach them sun smart habits from an early age so we can try reduce these statistics later on in life."

"We are encouraging all schools in the Mid North Coast to get involved with the SunSmart Primary School Program where schools implement a skin cancer prevention plan to help reduce children's exposure to UV radiation," she said.