Working in a salon can be great if you enjoy interacting with different people and helping them achieve the look they want. However, it can also mean long hours on your feet, standing in awkward positions for long stretches of time, and being exposed to the chemical fumes, as well as dust.
So, how do you stay healthy as a salon worker?
Eat healthy
Unlike an office, you might not have a fixed time for lunch or even enough time. On days that are slammed, you may need to rush out between appointments to grab yourself a bite to eat.
However, if you pack your own lunch, you can ensure that it is healthy and high in fibre. It might also be worth packing some healthy snacks to nibble on whenever you feel a little peckish.
How does this help?
Keeping your body fed and nourished means you are less likely to develop long-term health issues that come along with a poor diet. You’re already rushed on your feet – take care of your diet!
Exercise and Stretch
Exercises such as weight lifting, core workouts, and yoga can you strengthen your body. With stronger muscles, your hips, hands, and feet are less likely to suffer from repetitive strain injuries that are part and parcel of doing the same type of physical work over and over.
Additionally, you may also find yourself having to maintain an awkward position when doing your client’s hair, makeup, or nails. This could lead to stiffness or soreness over an extended period of time.
Whenever you get a break, stretch your muscles. This will keep them flexible and improve the blood flow to those areas, keeping the soreness away. You will find that your joints aren’t as stiff if you regularly stretch and exercise.
Hydrate
Did you know that if your body wasn’t hydrated enough, you could find yourself feeling tired? More importantly, having enough water also helps your skin and hair, as well as helping your kidney function and aiding weight loss!
Water can also be very helpful in flushing out the toxins you absorb during your workday.
However, most people think that having a sugary drink is enough hydration. It’s not. Sugar can actually dehydrate you more! Instead, opt for plain water.
Keep a bottle of water handy and keep sipping from it whenever you get a chance.
Wear Appropriate Shoes
As a salon worker, you would be expected to stand or be on your feet for very long stretches. This, in itself, is enough to make your feet sore. Combine that with uncomfortable shoes and you have a problem on your hands (well, feet really!)
While you may look amazing in heels, reserve them for nights out. Wear comfortable shoes while working, especially those that give your feet arch support.
In addition, if you find a moment, sit down to give your feet some rest.
Personal protection equipment
As you know, using chemicals and treatments once in a while at home is fine. But, when you’re handling these all day, you could be damaging the skin. Additionally, if these get in your eyes or mouth, they could cause damage, which could be permanent depending on the chemical.
This is why you should never be lazy about using personal protection equipment (PPE).
What is Personal Protection Equipment?
As the same suggests, it is protective gear to keep you safe from hazardous materials. These include disposable gloves to protect your hands, protective glasses to keep things out of your eyes, and a face mask so you don’t breathe too many noxious fumes.
Extraction
While PPE can keep you safe from some of the hazardous chemicals, sometimes fumes and dust can become so concentrated in the air in the salon that you are always exposed to them. Breathing in these chemicals can cause long-term health problems.
For such materials, it is important to have the appropriate extraction solutions in place. High-quality extraction units can suck the air from your salon and filter it out so that all the fumes and dust are removed from it before it is pumped back into circulation.
As a result, you can get almost all of these contaminants out of your workplace.
At VODEX, we specialise in extraction solutions for beauty salons. Whether it is nail dust or chemical fumes, we have the right product to suit every need. If you want to find out which solution works best for you, get in touch with us on 01489 899 070 and we will help you with your queries.
