In short: Yes, yes you do. “Sun protection is very important for the scalp!” explains board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D. “All horizontal body surfaces (perpendicular to the rays of the sun) receive a particularly strong dose of sun exposure, and scalps are a very common site of sunburn, sun damage and sun-related skin cancers.” 

Essentially, the scalp is a common entry point for UV radiation to take hold, which makes protecting it even more vital: “The direct angle at which the sun hits the scalp seems to make it penetrate even deeper than on the rest of the body,” notes board-certified dermatologist Loretta Ciraldo, M.D., FAAD. That’s why you may find your scalp burns easier than the rest of your skin. 

And guess what? That UV exposure can even affect your hair growth over time. Josh Rosebrook, hairstylist and founder of Josh Rosebrook Skin and Hair Care, previously wrote for mbg, “Overexposure to the sun affects the protective barrier of natural oils we all have on our scalp by causing blood vessels to dilate and become inflamed. Sometimes this damage causes the synthesis of superoxide, a compound that may cause hair follicles to switch off growth and enter the shedding phase, which leads to hair loss.”

Now, you could just apply your regular facial sunscreen on the exposed parts of your scalp—but it can get a little messy. “It may be difficult if you have a lot of hair,” adds King. Personally, the thought of coating my strands with liquid sunblock makes me shudder; I’m certainly not alone, so the market responded with powder and spray formulas made specifically for the scalp. 

Sure, a hat will keep you covered just fine, but for those uninterested in a chic sun hat, a scalp sunscreen is key. Here, we reviewed the best of the best.