Hats Don't Protect You from the Sun as Well as You May Think

It’s that time of the year again—hats have officially transitioned from a fashion statement to a weapon in the war against UV rays. But do they really offer much in the way of protection from the sun’s damaging effects?

A little bit—but definitely not enough for you to forgo using SPF on your face and any exposed areas of your body. "Wearing a hat provides instant shade, which increases your cumulative total sun protection factor by at least 10,” says Ava Shamban, M.D., a dermatologist in Beverly Hills. "Regardless of whether [or not] you wear a hat, you need to apply a sunscreen of at least SPF 30 because ultraviolet light is reflected off of surfaces." Remember to stick to this rule: Apply about a shot glass worth of SPF to your entire body, and reapply every two hours.


Wide-brimmed hats that surround the head—covering the face, back of the neck, and sides of the neck and face—will offer the most protection. Baseball caps, on the other hand, will only cover your forehead and half of your face, leaving quite a bit of your face vulnerable to the sun. Hats made of tightly woven fabric generally provide more protection than canvas hats and straw hats, according to the American Cancer Society.

Shamban recommends looking for brands that carry hats with an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) number, like Coolibar. “In order to carry a number, it must be tested as this is regulated by the FDA," says Shamban. The lowest UPF rating a piece of clothing can have is 15, while the highest is 50+.

Keep in mind that the sun is strongest from 10 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m. And while hats do shield the sun in any weather—Shamban suggests wearing one on sunny and cloudy days alike—they provide the most protection in direct sunlight. "You should certainly wear one in brightly lit areas, such as on a boat or at the beach, but basically anywhere outdoors [is important]," says Shamban.

On cloudy days, sunlight is more scattered, which makes it harder to protect your entire face, neck, and ears with a hat. That's why sunscreen is still key.

The bottom line: There's no shortcut that makes it okay to skip sunscreen. "I'm a big believer that sunscreen as protection from the damaging ultraviolet rays is the number one way that you can change the way you age,” says Shamban. “And you should use the same amount on your face whether you're wearing a hat or not."