# piercings in the work place



## southern_fried (Oct 5, 2006)

i recently pierced my labre (it's something i had to do for myself... personal reasons) and i've been wondering how it'll go in the kitchen. I know ear rings and tongue rings are allowed, but a labre is slightly different. This isn't the first time i've had it pierced and from experience i can safely say that they are sanitary. I gargle with antiseptic and keep alcohol on the opening till it closes. They don't weep because of the bar and the alcohol helps prevent them from doing just that. I guess the question is: how do you think my boss'll take it?


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

what exactly is a labre?


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## blade55440 (Sep 9, 2005)

A labre piercing goes through that little piece of skin toward the bottom of your lip between the lip and your chin. It looks like a little spike that juts out about your chin.

I think if you're BOH it shouldn't be too bad, FOH...you're screwed.


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## southern_fried (Oct 5, 2006)

oh BOH, most def. I wouldn't have even considered this a possibility if i worked FOH


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

depends on the chef. I know some that are in their twenties,own the restaurant and have multiple piercings and loads of tats.

Interestingly though they take out the large ear plugs when teaching classes or walking the floor in their restaurants.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Thank goodness for Shroom. I couldn't bring myself to ask. Now you're sure that's where it is? If your working a hot station ( like sautee, fry,etc)I would not alow it. I think it would be prone to burn. Ya know the metal conducts heat and it may burn the area around your labre ( just like saying it) before you felt it.
pan


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## southern_fried (Oct 5, 2006)

Wouldn't i have to be inches away from the eye or the flat top for it to conduct enough heat to burn me? Anyway, I work cold station and prep, so that's a non-issue.


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## southern_fried (Oct 5, 2006)

eww. People who gauge their ears out and then take out the O-ring look funny. The hole reminds me of a cat's butthole.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

one chef in particular has larger than normal holes in his ears but not the dangling flaps of flesh blowing in the exhaust fan. He does have some pretty ******* full arm tatoos that are not only interesting to view but to watch conservatives' response. He's 27yrs old and doing fun stuff in his hip kitchen....oh yeah he came from Salt Lake prior to landing here.....
You can see where some of the holes were.....I don't know if he restuds or not. 
He's the most obvious studder, others just have multiple piercings...the visable ones are usually small ones in their noses or eyebrows or of course ears.....

I took several collage biology classes and thought I was fairly up on body parts......labre's a new one....thanks for the enlightenment.


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## al_dente (Mar 9, 2005)

Take out the hardware while in the kitchen. You're in there to impress with your skill, not your looks. If looks are so important then become a waiter. Hooks, rings, and the like, catch crud no matter where they are located. Not to mention what they tend to catch apon during your work! Plus the patrons simply don't understand. They are capable of making judgement simply by how you've tucked in your shirt. Take a nice expensive pouch around with you and stash them all nicely away while you work. It will show dedication and maybe even prevent a torn "Labre"? Just an old school thought.

(I thought we were still on the 'Please cut your hair' Thing)  

Cheers

AL


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## aprilb (Feb 4, 2006)

I still remember it almost 10 years later.

He was completely shaved and had just about every inch of himself pierced (that you could see anyway... )

As a consumer it was the most disgusting turn off I could think of. I couldn't even look at his booth when I walked by.

I imagine the only issue would be if somehow a guest could see into the kitchen at one point and found it objectionable. Wrong place at the wrong time. One of the other concerns would be if it somehow came loose and fell into a salad or something without you noticing. I don't know how it's attached so I really haven't a clue. 

Somehow I can't see metal in parts of my face. Heck, I don't even wear earrings or jewelry of any kind. What's the point? Like it was said, you're there to cook, not to look good.

So does that thing extend through your mouth to the outside? How do you keep from messing with it with your tongue?  

(Sorry, I keep getting visions of the pincushion man in Oz) 

April


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## southern_fried (Oct 5, 2006)

i take the spike out during work, it's not there to look good. If i take the bar out, the hole'll close up and I'd have to repierce it which is no good. Yes it goes from the outside to the inside of my mouth where it nestles inbetween the lip and the gumline. Yes, i play with it, but that's a part of the fun.


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## ras1187 (Oct 3, 2006)

While I recognize that every body expresses their selves in many different ways, the kitchen is a professional environment.

Any piercings (including earrings) are hazards to the person wearing them, and there is the possibility of something loose falling into the food without the person knowing. I believe that anything other than earrings is also a sanitation violation here in the City of Chicago.

It is my personal belief that if you want to get a good, high paying job in a respectable establishment, you have to present yourself professionally at the interview and every day you work (if you get the job), and odd piercings of any kind just dont fit my traditional idea of professionalism.


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## shroomgirl (Aug 11, 2000)

or look for a restaurant that is in the younger edgier (maybe it's more mainstream by now) part of town.....if customers are pierced then they can relate to kitchen staff with the same decor.


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## southern_fried (Oct 5, 2006)

a young, edgy bake shop... I'm screwed.


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## blueicus (Mar 16, 2005)

Although piercings are in essence non-functional, I'm almost certain that there's a greater chance that hair or my glasses would fall into food I'm making before a piece of pierced jewelry would. I mean, taking off piercings is in general (especially non-ear piercings) not good or easy on the place that's pierced and isn't analogous to taking off a ring or necklace, so I personally wouldn't mind too much. However, that's just me.


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## jessiquina (Nov 4, 2005)

i think its really gross when the girl i used to work with kept her wedding ring on while working- and kneading dough.. .. now i'd have to say that if your jewelery is touching the food, its wrong, but if its stuck in your face- its fine by me.


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## southern_fried (Oct 5, 2006)

isn't that the only piece of jewlery allowed


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## jayme (Sep 5, 2006)

At my school, even wedding rings are not permitted. Since I couldn't get my ring off easily, I took my ring off and haven't worn it since I started school. I have a bracelet that I wear all the time, and they have allowed it(does not contact the food)- but I remove it when I'm using the oven because it does conduct heat. We have students with tatoos but none with piercings other than ears. I suppose what is acceptable depends on the kitchen/exec chef.


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

What does that mean?


Also, I need a little education since I'm one of the elders here. If you don't do it for looks, then why do it. Is it the pain? If it's not for looks or to make a statement then why not pierce in places where it does not show.
When I was a kid many decades ago I asked my pop if I could go get inked. He said that he was not going to be able to stop me but I should think about getting them above the short sleeve length. I did get quite a few, and I'm now glad I took his advice.
pan


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