This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
We examined the sun-protection practices of 61 men attending a dermatology department in the west of Ireland. Most worked outdoors, either currently or in the past. Although most wore hats as a sun-protection measure, the majority wore baseball caps, with smaller numbers wearing other types of hats that do not offer protection to the head and neck. Use of SPF products was widespread, but often not used habitually.
Irish men get more skin cancer than women, especially of the head and neck area. They typically get more sun exposure and are less likely to wear sun protection factor (SPF). Little is known about the types of hats men wear, or photoprotective practices regarding the lips. We carried out an observational study, using a questionnaire, on men aged > 18 years attending dermatology for any reason. Fitzpatrick skin type and Norwood classification for male pattern baldness was documented. Sixty-one men [mean (SD) age 56 (16.9) years] were involved. Forty-nine per cent were attending for the assessment of skin lesions. Thirty-eight per cent were on immunosuppression. Sixty-four per cent worked outdoors currently or in the past, 79% have or had spent > 3 h outdoors daily. Twenty-six per cent had a Norwood classification of ≥ 3v (vertex of scalp showing). The majority (71%) was of Fitzpatrick skin types I and II. Seventy-nine per cent wore SPF, 19% daily and 17% during the summer. Only 15% of men reported wearing lip SPF. Sixty-eight per cent reported wearing a hat on a ‘sunny day’. Of these, 54% wear baseball (BB) caps, 20% wear a wide-brimmed hat (WBH), 20% a narrow-brimmed hat, 4% a wool or traditional cap and 2% a total face covering. Age did not influence whether a hat was worn, but it did influence the type, with younger men more likely to wear BB caps and older men more likely to wear WBH. Those with hair thinning were more likely to wear a hat (87% vs. 67%). Non-hat-wearers were also less likely to wear SPF. Despite the incidence of skin cancer in sun-exposed sites in men, few studies have focused on photoprotective practices of the head and neck. Our study demonstrates that while Irish men wear SPF, few wear SPF on their lips. Additionally, Irish men often wear a hat type that would not be considered to provide adequate photoprotection to the head and neck. Hat type varied with age, with younger patients wearing less photoprotective hats. When considering photoprotection campaigns, factors such as age, fashion trends and education regarding lip SPF should be considered.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.