Solar Protection by Hair: More Complex Than It Seems to Be

To the Editor We read with great interest the article by Agi and Cohen¹ recently published in JAMA Pediatrics. It offers a simple explanation of hair as a form of barrier occluding the skin to prevent solar damage; however, this article may be misinterpreted that long hair offers better solar protection than short hair. This is especially so because this article follows studies by Lesage et al,²Chevalier et al,³ and Green et al⁴ that show epidemiological evidence of different incidences of melanoma in anatomical positions in girls and boys. In these studies, the differences between hair protection in girls and boys suggest greater incidence of melanoma in areas that are not covered by the hair on the head and neck.