A career as a chef can be highly rewarding for anyone who loves being creative with food. However, working in a kitchen can also play havoc with the way you look both inside and outside of work.
If you choose to have a career as a chef, it’s important to do all that you can to protect your appearance. The good news is that there are things you can do that can help you with this.
Think carefully about what you wear
Obviously, no-one expects you to look like you have just come off the catwalk when you are working in a commercial kitchen. However, you can still look professional and smart; at least at the start of service. You can buy high quality chef coats online which have modern clean lines and also help to protect you, and your clothes, from the spillages which are common in this type of environment.
Pay attention to your hair
If you have long hair, you should always make sure that it’s tied back when you are working in a kitchen. Failure to do so could mean that your hair comes into contact with a naked flame and catches fire. You can repair fire damaged hair but it takes time. It’s also possible for severe burns to occur. So, you can see how important it is to try and avoid this situation.
Tying back your hair also means that you are less likely to contaminate food by allowing loose hair to fall into it. This is important as the last thing you want is valuable customers finding hairs in their food.
Take care of your skin
You may not realise it, but working as a chef can cause damage to your skin. This is because you are constantly exposed to wet working, and because your skin is exposed to grease, oil and chemicals.
Some of the most common skin conditions that can occur, or be worsened, as a result of working in a professional kitchen are contact dermatitis and acne. You need to do all you can to stop these conditions from occurring or keep them under control as much as possible. In order to do this there are several steps that you should take:
- Wash your hands and forearms several times during the day.
- Pay attention to any cuts or burns that occur and make sure that they are dealt with and covered straight away.
- Do not touch your face while you are cooking and preparing food.
- Wash your skin thoroughly when you get home from work each day. You should also follow a moisturizing routine.
Taking these actions helps you to protect your skin and keep it looking good.
It’s all too easy to become complacent when you are working as a chef, and not take proper care of your appearance. These few simple steps can help you enjoy your work while also protecting the way you look. This can help to improve your confidence and your enthusiasm for work and life overall.
Cover Image credits: Photo by Tirachard Kumtanom from Pexels