Prevent Melanoma with Sun Protective Tennis Clothes

May 5th, 2016 by Do It Tennis

Melanoma is one of the most common cancers diagnosed in the United States and the deadliest form of skin cancer. And for sports played for outdoors, like tennis, extra care is necessary.

Tennis players, even at the club level, are in the sun for hours every time they play and most play several days a week. Competitive tennis players typically sweat a lot, reducing the effective protection duration of sunscreen. In many places around the world, tennis is played in the summer months when the sun is at its fiercest. Youth, strength and physical fitness give you no extra protection from the effects of the sun. In fact tennis players who start young have an increased risk over their lifetimes. For ATP and WTA pros, exposure to sun is an occupational hazard they must contend with everyday.

May is Melanoma Awareness Month, so take the time to use the proper sun protective clothing and learn what prevention tips will help.

Sun Protective Tennis Clothing

There a number of companies like DUC and Bloq UV that incorporate UV protective clothing for men, women and children into their lines of tennis clothes. And regular use of basic tennis apparel will reduce your risk levels.

• DUC tennis apparel like dresses, skirts, tops and shorts are designed with special fabric that offers 40+ UV protection for yourself or your favorite tennis player.

• Bloq UV tennis apparel is a chemical free line designed with fabric that delivers a UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) of 50 and blocks 98% of sun’s rays.

• Simply wearing a hat or visor every time you play tennis will make a difference. Adidas, Babolat, Head, Prince and Wilson have a wide range of hats, caps and visors that are stylish, come in many colors and will keep you cooler on the tennis court.

Melanoma Prevention Tips

There are number of basic tips from the Melanoma Research Alliance for tennis players and even your non-tennis playing family members.

• Wear Sunscreen. Make sunscreen a daily habit. UV radiation can still damage skin even in the winter and on cloudy days. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen (protects against UVA and UVB rays) with SPF of at least 30. For tennis players, use those switchovers to reapply sunscreen. Or apply when you are waiting for your USTA league play to start.

• Wear Sun Protective Clothing. Protect your body during tennis match play or tennis practice with UV-protective clothing a hat or visor, and sunglasses.

• Avoid Peak Rays. Seek shade during the mid-day sun, when the sun’s rays are most intense. For tennis players, that means scheduling matches in mornings or evenings. Sit and take a break in the shade while waiting for your next match.

• Protect Children. Just one bad sunburn in childhood or adolescence doubles your child’s chances of developing melanoma later in life. Protect those tennis court rats every time they play or practice with protective tennis clothes, sunscreen and hats.

• Don’t Use Tanning Beds. Indoor tanning has been shown to increase the risk of melanoma by up to 75%. Melanoma is the number one cancer diagnosed in young adults (ages 25-29), and scientists attribute this trend to the use of tanning beds among this age group, particularly young women.

Want More Information About UV Protective Tennis Clothes?

When caught early, melanoma is highly curable. And while treatments for late-stage melanoma are improving rapidly, survival rates are still low. So know your skin and examine it regularly and look for the ABCDEs of Melanoma.

There are many other advances in tennis apparel that are also worth your review.