Zip front polo shirt
Kids-Tee-Off, the makers of the KTO brand of junior golf apparel & accessories, has relaunched its website to emphasize the importance of sun protective clothing for children as a means of skin cancer prevention.
The depleting ozone layer seems to be contributing to the increase of skin cancer. According to the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention, there are over one million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed in the U.S. each year, outnumbering all other cancers combined¹. Damaging effects from one childhood sunburn increases the chances of adult skin cancer.
Clothing appears to provide one of the most convenient forms of protection against ultraviolet radiation (UV). However, not all clothing is sufficiently protective against UV radiation. The average T-shirt only provides UV protection equivalent to a SPF 7 sunscreen.
Most sun-protective clothing has an Ultra Violet Protection factor (UPF) rating of 20. KTO high performance polo shirts with UV-Sun® have special agents added to the fabric which prevent harmful UV-A and UV-B rays from penetrating the garment and damaging the skin. UV-A, the “Ageing Ray” which makes up 95% of UV light energy, has the power to penetrate deep into our skin where it can do permanent harm to the skin cells. UV-B, the “Burning Ray” which makes up 4-5% of the UV light energy, is one of the foremost causes of skin cancer.
Shirts with UV-Sun® provide UPF ratings ranging from 45 to 95 depending on the color. This means that only 1/45 to 1/95 of harmful UV rays can pass through the garment. Lighter colored shirts will have a lower UPF and darker colors a higher UPF.
“With such alarming numbers, we felt it was vital to inform parents of the long term effects of sun exposure and the implications of what one or two sunburns can have on their child’s future” said Pamela Wigglesworth, Managing Director of Kids-Tee-Off.
One blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person's chances of developing melanoma later in life.” ² “A person's risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns at any age.” ³
The areas where the skin is not protected by clothing, a sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 should be used on arms, ears, nose, neck and hands, as many skin cancers develop in these areas.
The upgraded site also introduces a new apparel and accessories collection and features an interactive diagnostic tool which allows the shopper to scroll around an image to get various views.
When posed the question, what are you selling, golf polo shirts or skin cancer prevention? Ms. Wigglesworth replied “Both. It’s skin care you can wear.”
1. National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention website.
2. "Squamous Cell Carcinoma." MayoClinic.com. 8 March 2007. 15 April 2008
3. Pfahlberg A, Kolmel KF, Gefeller O. Timing of excessive ultraviolet radiation and melanoma: epidemiology does not support the existence of a critical period of high susceptibility to solar ultraviolet radiation-induced melanoma. British Journal of Dermatology, March 2001; 144; 3:471
