Sun hats and the best places to find them; camouflaging gray hair
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: I live where a sun hat is a requisite when you are out and about. The issue is that the hats that I try on in stores are way too big for my head ... and if I purchase them online and they don’t look good, there is the hassle of returning them.
Are there any known manufacturers of sun hats that make hats for petite heads? Looking for shade!! — Saretta J.
Dear Saretta: There are online stores that specialize in sun hats with UPF50+ protection in a wide range of sizes, including women’s small. Some styles (but not all) have internal adjustable elastic for a custom fit.
Take a look and see if these sites have what you need:
■ Sungrubbies.com (“For women who have faced the frustration of hats slipping down or feeling uncomfortable, our collection is a gamechanger. No more compromises on style or sun safety — we believe every woman deserves both.”)
■ wallaroohats.com (has a whole women’s petite section), setartrading.com, solbari.com
Another idea: If your head is really small, check the teens’ or girls’ sections in local stores for in-person try-ons.
And this just in... I asked my petite friend B.B., who seems to always be on a successful hunt for one thing or another. She tells me: “I have the answer for my fellow pinhead! A Tilley hat! Specifically their LTM6 Airflo, on sale at Tilley.com for $79.20 and worth every penny. They come in sizes, so order the smallest, 6 7/8. They have a mesh insert that lets air circulate and also enables you to pack it flat. They have a stiff brim — essential sun protection. They are machine washable. Rain repellent. Guaranteed for life!”
Dear Answer Angel Ellen: Do you or your readers have suggestions for hiding spider veins on ankles and feet? My ankles and feet look bad and I never want to wear dresses or anything except long pants. My grandson asked me why my feet were green so I try to keep covered. — Mary S.
Dear Mary: I too have prominent veins — mostly on my arms (which is convenient for donating blood), face and hands. Just this week a little boy I know asked me, “What are those blue things?”
A long time ago, I decided that covering up all those body parts would be impossible so I just told myself to forget about it and moved on. Are you willing to give that a try? Do I hear a hard “no”?
In researching your question, I tested a lot of cover-up creams and lotions and did not find any that won’t rub off on clothes. Consider self-tanning lotions or more expensive professional spray-on tanning by a trained tech at a salon. Lotions and tanning sprays seem like more trouble than they’re worth since they fade after five or 10 days. But, for a special occasion when you’d like to show your legs in a dress or skirt, they’re an option.
Angelic readers
Donna B.’s advice to Cindy G. regarding concealing grays in her brown hair by getting highlights: “Accept your gray as natural highlights. A gray head is a crown of glory!”
Maria M. took a different approach: “Two of my new (work) teammates had an intervention with me. They said my hair was a mess and that I had to go to their colorist. Over a period of several months, my new stylist lightened my base color from dark brown to a honey dark blonde. My highlights were changed to a warm light blonde and no toner was used. My grays still showed up three to four weeks later, but they weren’t so obvious. If Cindy G. is open to having her base color lightened and add highlights, then she may be able to camouflage her gray for a longer period of time.”