November, the Perfect Month for a Blog about Hygiene and Facial Hair
During most months of the year, a topic that relates to research on prostate cancer would seem to have no place in a blog post about some aspect of ship catering. Yet November should not be viewed as a typical month. Some of the people that are associated with the medical community refer to that same month as Movember.
What does Movember have to do with catering for ships? Does it refer to a dish that might be served on a cargo ship during Thanksgiving Day? Does it acknowledge the fact that November 1st marks the end of hurricane season?
No, the act of replacing November’s “N” with an “M” has been adopted as a way to raise funds for prostate research. Fundraisers encourage men to grow a mustache during the weeks before Thanksgiving. Then the same men can request payment of contributions, from those that care to recognize the presence of their added bit of facial hair.
Unlike the fundraisers, the professionals in marine catering understand the dangers associated with facial hair. Hairs that are growing on a man’s face represent a possible source of contamination, while food is being prepared in the kitchen. Hence, the seafaring workers that hope to serve on the crew for ships should not wear a mustache. Yet many of those same workers are men; consequently, any single one of them could become a victim of prostate cancer.
Guidelines shared by the catering services for cargo ships ought to emphasize that fact. Yet supplies associated with a catering service for the marine industry should also plan for the crew member that has chosen to wear some form of facial hair. Maybe some crew member might make such a choice during the next to last month of the year.
In a community of men, where a specialist in victualling management might decide to offer foods that prevent prostate cancer, it would seem right to plan for the arrival of November. Just as there are caps that can be used to cover the head of a kitchen worker, there are other types of coverings for a beard or even a mustache. A ruling from on board catering management should make it clear that such a covering must be used by all beard and mustache wearers.
Obviously, professionals in victualling management need to be concerned about the crew’s hygiene during all months of the year. Not every man grows a mustache in hopes of raising funds for prostate cancer. Some seafaring males might think about developing a beard or a mustache in order to eliminate their chances for becoming a victim of razor burn. As a result, experts on marine catering should be prepared to offer some guidance on an alternative way to prevent razor burn.
Just as there are those that belong to a community of experts on catering for ships, there are also experts on male skincare. Their experience has taught them to question the belief that shaving against the way the face’s hair grows aids creation of a smoother shave. Indeed, the expertise of the skincare professionals has shown them that such a practice increases the chances for razor burn.
It also increases the chances for blemishes and dry skin. That fact should be made clear to the crew on a cargo ship. The same crew ought to be taught the best post-shaving practices. That means rinsing with lots of cold water, and then following that same rinse with utilization of a quality after shave. In that way, the employees on a cargo ship should have less reason to think about growing the hairs on their faces.
