KAISER PERMANENTE Kaiser Permanente staffers, from left, Wendi Saito, Alana Gaitley and Rena Garcia huddle under Cakoon's UV-Big Brella, with a protective silver coating and 56-inch arc. It's $39.95. A smaller UV-Brella with a 40-inch arc is $26.95.

UV umbrella another sun screen

AT THE RISK of looking like refugees from another planet, buyers have made a hit of Cakoon UV umbrellas from Kaiser Permanente pharmacies, according to Kaiser's over-the-counter program manager, Alana Gaitley.

There are some who don't want to be seen walking with a regular umbrella in the sun, so they'll probably want to stay away from these, made of silver-coated polyester pongee. But for those who take sun-protection seriously, the umbrella adds an extra layer of protection when used with sunglasses and a hat.

"Some people don't want to use a hat. They say, 'I don't like hat hair,' or that their head gets hot wearing a hat. The umbrella blocks 99.9 percent of the sun's rays, so wearing sunscreen and using the umbrella would be fine," Gaitley said, adding that the umbrella has a lifetime warranty and can also be used in rain.

For an extra layer of protection from the sun, Kaiser Permanente hosts frequent health and wellness sessions to introduce sun-protective hats by Physician Endorsed and Sunday Afternoons, umbrellas, plus other pharmacy items such as fitness products (exercise balls, pedometers, resistance bands), blood pressure monitors, orthopedic supplies, and more.

Clinics run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Here is the schedule through August:

July 19: Koolau Clinic, 45-602 Kamehameha Highway, Kaneohe.

July 26: Waipio Clinic, 94-1480 Moaniani St.

July 28: Honolulu Clinic, 1010 Pensacola St.

Aug. 7: Mililani Clinic, 95-660 Lanikuhana Ave.

Aug. 8: Waipio Clinic

Aug. 16: Koolau Clinic

Aug. 18: Honolulu Clinic

Aug. 23: Waipio Clinic

Those who cannot make it to the sessions can visit the Kaiser Moanalua Medical Center gift shop from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. weekdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays for assistance.