I work underground as a coal miner. How can I minimize damage to my skin and stuff while working in such harsh conditions?
I work underground as a coal miner. How can I minimize damage to my skin and stuff while working in such harsh conditions?
Are you the miner under the influence of the trans community Fox News warned us about?
Yes
I mean technically this post is about Miners grooming (in the cleanliness way lmao)
I'm in welding/machining and use Vaseline on my hands and arms to form a solid barrier between my skin and the machine oil, since otherwise it gives me hives.
What do you do for your face? Does it give you acne or do you become sort of acclimated to it?
It never gave me acne (it's non-comedogenic and sterile), and in my experience helped reduce it. Some people might react to it though! Everyone's skin is so frustratingly different lol
I'm not a coal miner, but I do have problematic skin. I think general skincare would be the most important starting place. Making sure you are using the most gentle soaps that will do the job, and never failing to moisturise after doing so. What does your skin care routine look like right now?
I put lotion on every day after i shave. Thats basically it. I wash my face first before shaving.
So its
Wash face
Shave
Lotion
An alum block does wonders for my face after a shave. It's shave with red hot water > rinse with cold water > alum block, leave for 20 seconds > rinse with cold water > lotion. Takes away any razor burn, etc. I couldn't shave regularly without it. This is unrelated to working in a coal mine, though.
You're going to have to find products that work for you personally. My routine is pretty similar. I use Cerave facial cleanser and Cerave facial moisturiser. My electrologist is always gushing over the skin on my face, so I can't be doing that bad.
I don't have a whole lot of advice for coal mining itself, other than trying to keep a barrier between you and the filth. Less filth means losing less oil to washing, which will likely be your real problem.
I've not worked in those kinds of conditions. But when I've done manual, dirty work, I've used plenty of hand protection/barrier cream. Do they provide that at your work? Also, do they provide showers? I'd say to jump straight in after a shift so that your skin is clean for as long as possible each day. If you wait till you get home, it's an extra however long the commute is before your skin can breathe and recover.
A general moisturiser that I quite like is Aveeno 'body lotion'. It used to be called hand cream but they must've realised people will buy more if they use it all over. It stays on well. I've used it while decorating and doing 'ordinary' construction work. Paint and oil/grease wash off a lot easier at the end of the day because the muck doesn't stick to your skin so much as the layer of moisturiser. It worked on my face while painting ceilings, too. During ordinary hand washing, it's a small challenge to get it off, actually. If you're not trying to take it off, it'll stay on for a few washes. As Aveeno can be used all over and doesn't feel greasy (it will if you use too much), you can put it all over, where you might not want to use something 'stronger', like Vaseline.
Maybe Aveeno wouldn't be quite as good as Vaseline, as queermunist suggests. I prefer something like Epaderm to Vaseline but I'm unsure on the technical differences. It's inflammable, though, so don't use it if you smoke as you will go up in flames! Creams like Epaderm also get soaked into your clothes and will never properly wash out so they will always be easier to ignite, which may be a problem if you use any flames or any equipment that might spark (I'd assume that coal mining equipment, of all equipment, would be tested never to spark, but I can't be sure). For this reason a work-site barrier cream might be better, but I don't have any recommendations.
What safety gear do you have to wear? It's always worth wearing long sleeves/overalls/gloves if there's a risk to damaging your arms, etc, plus goggles and a mask to protect your face (I imagine this is all complusory in a coal mine but I thought I'd mention it just in case). The more you can cover up the better. Use a cream/Vaseline for what you can't cover up.
Thank you a lot :)
You're welcome. I forgot to say, there's an Aveeno body lotion for 'extra dry skin', which is a lot thicker so may offer more protection. It feels quite different so if you try this brand you might want to see which one you prefer before buying it. I'd want to run away from my own skin if I covered myself in the thicker one but it's okay for my hands.
I feel like a career change is your best bet.
God go to hell you insensitive asshole. Thanks yes. You hurt my feelings irl. Feel accomplished.
Fuck you. The sacrifices i make arent just for me you individualist dick. I want a house for my husband. I want to stop rellying on my familly for everything. I want to be able to do something anything that makes me feel like less of a drain.
Ive suppressed my whole life and all i wanted to see is if on the weekends i can put on a wig and not look like an orc in a dress.
Youre the reason i feel so helpless. I refuse to sacrifice other people so i can feel confortable in my skin. This job is my last best chance and im not throwing it away so i can look pretty.
Fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you fuck you.
Yes i cried. Im so fucking trolled right now.
Look, I honestly wasn't trolling. Industrial jobs are inherently very tough on the body. I've worked in the steel industry for quite a few years. Skin in particular will take the brunt of the damage. Although in coal, unless you are dedicated to using your ppe religiously it may be your respiratory system that is going to suffer. Most people here won't have any clue what a coal mine will do to your skin. Is your environment wet, dry, humid, hot. I imagine most will envision dust, lots of dust. I suspect probably that your lack of exposure to sunlight due to working a mine is going to work in your favor, but if you are exposed to anything that irritates your skin, a dermatologist would be a good start. What do your co-workers look like? Those that have worked the mine for many years, what skin conditions are misty prevalent? For lots of us in industry, we use our hands a lot, so scarring and dry skin from washing is common. We will often wear latex free gloves under our regular gloves if we know our gloves will get saturated. My point initially was that if it was such large concern a different career is likely you're best option. If the coal industry is really your preference you may have to accept that a hard job can be hard on the body. A good skin care routine that anyone would perform will likely do the job. I'm really sorry if I came off flippant. I didn't mean to, and I didn't mean to upset you.