I'll be visiting Zion, Bryce, GC and Sedona in early June.

I walked into SportsAuthority and looked around. I found myself looking at hats.

I looked at the soft ones that look like an old dish rag (and I didn't look much better with it on) and the hard brimmed mesh sided hats.

Tried them both on and bought the hard brimmed mesh sided hat.

Now I'm concerned that while the brim will protect from the sun, the mesh will let in too much sun.

Lather ther scalp with lotion under the hat?

Advice would be appreciated. Thanks.

Serious question: are you bald or have really thin hair? Do you have reason to worry about your scalp getting sunburnt - does it happen to you normally during the summer?

I wear a wide brimmed hat that I got from REI - I don't see it on their website anymore but it's sort of like this one: http://www.rei.com/product/751201

The only time I'm worried about my head getting burned is if I cut my hair really short, and then I either put sunscreen on or wear a hat - when hiking, I wear a hat. I don't know how well the mesh will protect your scalp if you need it protected, but if the hat you bought doesn't have a flap for your neck consider taking it back and getting one that does.

Having had several friends all with thick heads of hair recently go through skin cancer treatments for their scalps, I think it's a wise decision to think you need more protection than your hair for your scalp. As to the best hat? well, I can't answer that one.

Get a baseball-type cap with a neck protection flap. Put sunscreen -- lots of it -- on your ears. Smear some on your face, if you wish.

Yes, hair is VERY thin on top.

I like the mesh for ventilation. On a recent trip to Southern Spain (40 degrees C and sunny) I decided that my baseball style cap kept the heat in and was too hot.

I decided to take a chance and not use one but lathered my scalp with lotion. I was fine.

The mesh hat will give some sun protection without getting really hot. I'd have to guess that it compares to SPF 4 or maybe as much as SPF 8 sunscreen. If you spend time outside without a hat so you develop a suntan, the hat may be enough, otherwise you can add sunscreen or wrap your "dorag" around your head under your hat for at least part of the day.

I live in South Florida. I have a constant tan just thru normal living.

I think I'll use the mesh hat and lather my scalp and back of neck in the morning.

Thanks.

Myer: you probably will be just fine. You will be at a much, much higher altitude than in South Florida and the sun's rays are more intense (less pollution, less humidity, less density of the air). Use plenty of sunscreen on exposed flesh if you plan to be out in the direct sun for more than a short while.

http://www.solartex.com/servlet/-str...ive/Categories

May look dorky (OK, no may about it, will look dorky) but they WORK.

Dorky? OK. But having your skin carved by a dermatologist is nothing to laugh at, especially when a malignancy can be avoided by wearing protection -- hat & sunscreen.

The mesh is on the side, the top is usually solid, which means that the head will be protected from the direct rays of the sun. In my opinion, and I wear such a hat, no sunscreen is needed under the crown itself.

Definitely go with sun screen on your scalp and neck, even if you are already tanned or even if you are black or hispanic. Although darker skinned people don't have as high a risk for skin cancer as lighter skinned people, the risk is still there. And like others have said - at higher altitudes, the suns rays are more intense and people burn even if they normally wouldn't burn at sea level.

for hats, nothing beats a Tilley
www.tilley.com