... That's the message from the Skin & Cancer Foundation Australia about getting kids to wear protective head gear that is UPF 50+ and has the Foundation stamp of approval.
Billy-Lids from Rigon Headwear is a fashionable and fun kids hat label that is UPF 50+ rated against harmful UV rays.
You may think you are doing the right thing by putting a hat on when out in the sun, but did you know that powerful UV rays can penetrate through hats that are not UPF rated, leading to sun burn and exposure to damaging UV rays?
Skin & Cancer Foundation Australia spokesperson, Dr Lisa O'Brien says: "Unfortunately the incidence of skin cancer is on the rise. A skin care prevention strategy must include protecting against the sun's harmful rays, not only with sunscreen, but also with UPF rated hats.
Australians are four times more likely to develop a skin cancer than any other form of cancer (1) and approximately two in three Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer before the age of 70 (2) with the majority of skin cancers occuring on exposed areas of the body such as the head, neck and face.
Billy-Lids from Rigon offers the highest grade of protection that is available for hats and clothing - blocking more than 97.5% of radiation.
According to Dr Lisa O'Brien, there is considerable evidence to suggest that exposure to the sun during childhood and teenage years significantly increases the risk of skin cancer in later life, making the wearing of UPF rated hat wear, like Billy-Lids, vital. The UPF rating means that the Billy-Lids fabric has been tested and proven in terms of levels of sun protection provided.
Not only are Billy-Lids a highly effective way to protect against sun exposure, but they come in the latest seasonal fashion styles for both boys and girls. Billy Lids Hats are from newborns to 12 years, depending on style.
Rigon Headwear is proud to support, not only the Skin and Cancer Foundation Australia, but also the McGrath Foundation. For selected Billy-Lids hats sold, a $2 donation goes to the McGrath Foundation. The McGrath Foundation funds McGrath Breast Care Nurses in communities right across Australia and educates young women to be breast aware. For more information visit
www.mcgrathfoundation.com.au.
1 Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) and Australiasian Association of Cancer Registries (AACR) (2008). Cancer in Australia: an overview, 2008. AIHW cat. no. CAN 32. Canberra, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.
2 Staples M, Elwood M, Burton R, Williams J, Marks R, Giles G. Non-melanoma skin cancer in Australia: the 2002 national survey and trends since 1985. Medical Journal of Australia 2006: 184:6-10 
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