{"id":1176,"date":"2019-05-04T15:06:01","date_gmt":"2019-05-04T19:06:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uvoider.com\/blog\/?p=1176"},"modified":"2019-11-27T15:30:13","modified_gmt":"2019-11-27T20:30:13","slug":"golf-and-skin-cancer-10-best-sun-protection-habits","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uvoider.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/04\/golf-and-skin-cancer-10-best-sun-protection-habits\/","title":{"rendered":"Golf and Skin Cancer – 10 Best Sun Protection Habits"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just about every golfer develops habits to play better golf, yet few golfers develop habits to avoid skin cancer when playing golf.\u00a0 In fact, accordingly to dermatologists like Dr. Michael Kaminer, “it seems as if many golfers go out of their way to get skin cancer.”<\/em>\u00a0Don’t put your skin and life at risk. Golf safely with these 10 best sun protection habits. <\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #1: UPF 50+ Wide Brimmed Hat<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are wearing a golf cap, throw it away now. Why? Because, it offers you very little sun protection and puts your nose, face, neck, and ears at risk of developing skin cancer. Just ask any golfer who has had to undergo the knife. Instead, you should wear a wide-brimmed hat such as\u00a0a Uvoider UV All-Purpose Bucket Hat<\/a> or a Uvoider UV Exporer Hat<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Uvoider
Uvoider All-Purpose Bucket Hat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The\u00a0Uvoider UV All-Purpose Bucket Hat<\/a>\u00a0is a casual sun hat that is very suitable for hot weather golf. Its wide brim provides increased sun shade for your eyes and neck, and it has an absorbent moisture-wicking sweatband and a narrow strip of breathable mesh for ventilation and comfort.<\/p>\n

\"Uvoider
Uvoider Explorer Hat<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The\u00a0Uvoider UV Explorer Hat<\/a>\u00a0is designed to provide the ultimate sun protection and coverage for your face and neck. The Explorer Hat is comfortable and lightweight with a very wide brim in the front and sides and a Legionnaire flap to keep your neck protected. A useful feature of the Explorer Hat is the Eyewear Grip\u2122 which secures your glasses in place so they will never come off when you are making your swing.<\/p>\n

As you golf, these Uvoider hats will provide you the ultimate sun protection and coverage for your ears, nose, face and neck. With less direct sunlight making contact with your skin, this protects your skin from harmful ultraviolet rays and keeps your body temperature cooler as you golf.<\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #2: UPF 50+ Golf Shirt<\/h3>\n

Most golfers need to upgrade their wardrobe with sun protective clothing. Just ask Greg Norman who early in his golfing career suffered intense sunburns right through his golf shirts. If the label of your golf shirt does not indicate that it has UPF 50 sun protection or higher, don’t wear it on hot, sunny days. Though nearly all leading golf-clothing manufacturers offer merchandise that has UPF protection, be mindful of discount brands or extremely low-priced golf shirts as they will likely be constructed with cheaper, non-UPF treated, fabrics.<\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #3: UPF 50+ Golf Shorts<\/h3>\n

Just as with golf shirts, look for golf shorts that are constructed with UPF 50 or higher treated fabrics. Also, look for golf shorts with extra length in the legs to cover as much skin as possible. Ideally, you want your shorts to fit loose and comfortable and to come down to just above your knees. This will cover your skin, provide air flow, and keep your legs and body cool and dry.<\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #4: UPF 50+ Arm Sleeves<\/h3>\n

There are many good and quite different reasons for wearing golf arm sleeves which are cited in the Uvoider Blog, April 6th, 2017 post, “UV Compression Arm Sleeves \u2013 Why golfers wear golf arm sleeves<\/a>.” Perhaps there is no better reason than protecting your skin from the harmful UV rays of the sun. Unlike sunblock which only lasts for two hours and is messy to slop on and wear and that results in your skin and body becoming very hot, arm sleeves are the exact opposite of all of this. Arm sleeves prevent the rays of the sun from hitting your arms and not just for two hours but for as long as you are wearing them. Arm sleeves wick away moisture keeping your skin and body feeling clean, cool and dry.<\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #5: UPF 50+ Calf Sleeves<\/h3>\n

Calf sleeves are also great for golf and offer the same benefits for your legs that arm sleeves offer for your arms. Calf sleeves protect your legs from the sun and they keep your legs cool and dry. When you wear calf sleeves while you golf, no longer will your legs become hot and sweaty with dirt, grass, and bugs collecting at your ankles.<\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #6: UPF 50+ Neckwear<\/h3>\n

Most golfers do not wear neckwear and overlook its importance. The neck is particularly at risk because golf caps provide no protection from the sun and even wide brimmed hats, as good as they are, cannot cover the entire neck from both direct and indirect sun exposure. Neckwear such as neck gaiters, tubular bandannas, and Uvoider UV Full Headwear<\/a> and Uvoider UV Half Headwear<\/a> can completely and comfortably cover the neck from the harmful rays of the sun. Neckwear will also keep your neck from getting hot and sweaty and becoming the target of heat and moisture seeking insects that bite.<\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #7: Golf Glove<\/h3>\n

As a golfer, your dermatologist will always check your hands first for signs of skin cancer. Just ask Fred Couples who has had skin cancer on both hands and had to undergo the removal of 13 lesions. There is really no reason not to wear golf gloves on both hands. Just think about it. In cold and rainy weather, golfers often wear two gloves and don’t think twice about it. The main reason golfers don’t wear two gloves is usually just because it is harder grab things from your pockets like tees and ball marks, not because wearing two gloves will harm or interfere with your golf swing. And, there are actually some good reasons to wear two gloves such as keeping both hands dry, preventing blisters, and of course protecting your skin from the harmful rays of the sun. So consider gloving up with two golf gloves.<\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #8: UV Golf Sunglasses<\/h3>\n

Overexposure to the sun can also damage eyes, impair vision, and lead to more serious conditions such as Photokeratitis, Pinguecula, Pterygium, Cataracts, and Macular Degeneration. When you play golf in the sun you should always wear sunglasses that work for you. Look for lenses that provide the vision experience you want and that completely shield and protect your eyes from harmful rays of the sun. Look for frames that provide a comfortable fit that stays in place throughout your swing and that block the sun from making contact with the corners of your eyes. Brand named golf sunglasses, like those worn by sponsored tour pros, can cost over $200, but there are also much less expensive UV golf sunglasses that you can buy online and at sporting goods stores.<\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #9: SPF 50+ Lip Balm<\/h3>\n

Surprisingly, most people apply lip balm only after their lips have become dried, cracked, and sunburn. Golfers should keep lip balm in their golf bags and apply it at the start of their round and then again after eating or drinking.\u00a0Lip cancer is the most common form of oral cancer and mostly affects men.\u00a0The top risk factors for lip cancer include excessive sun exposure and of course tobacco use, especially pipe smoking.<\/p>\n

Sun Protection Habit #10: SPF 50+ Sunblock<\/h3>\n

Though most golfers think of sunblock as the first, most important sun protection habit, it is actually the last habit to develop and employ. Why? Because it is better to cover your skin with sun protective wear than to put sunblock on your skin. Assuming it was very liberally applied, sunblock only lasts for two hours. Sunblock will not protect you for the duration of your round and you are likely not going to reapply it after the front nine. Also, sunblock makes you hot, wet, sweaty and highly detectable to heat and moisture seeking insects. So, develop the habit of covering as much of your skin as possible with sun protective clothing including arm sleeves, calf sleeves, neckwear, and even golf gloves on both hands. Then, for the few areas of your body that are not be covered up such as your knees and face, liberally apply sunblock.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/h3>\n

Just as every golfer should develop good course management habits, so too should they develop good sun protection habits. Not only will you be sun protected and safer on the course, you might even discover that these 10 best sun protection habits will keep you cooler, more comfortable, more relaxed, less hot and bothered, and playing better and more enjoyable golf.<\/p>\n

Uvoider Sun Protection Products for Golfers<\/h3>\n