How to Find the Right Aesthetician Training Program Near Birmingham Alabama

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Birmingham AL, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you pick not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Birmingham home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best choice. There are many other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of courses are available.

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Esthetics Training Programs

Esthetics school is an investment of time, energy, and money. Requirements vary from state to state, but the majority of states require that you complete at least 600 hours of training. Full-time school can take an average of six months to complete, and part-time school can take anywhere from 9-12 months. The primary purpose of esthetics school is to get you ready to pass the state licensing exam. They also teach basic skills that you will need to perfect through experience and sometimes additional classes, such as giving facials, body treatments, and performing waxing.  More advanced training includes learning to work with machines, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and permanently remove hair.

Esthetician Job Description

Estheticians provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Birmingham Alabama clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:

• Assessing a patient’s needs
• Chemical peels
• Laser treatments
• Waxing
• Facials
• Massage of the head and neck
• Microdermabrasion

Online Esthetics Classes

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Birmingham AL students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs

Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Birmingham home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician training program you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Birmingham AL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Birmingham AL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Alabama school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to open a Birmingham AL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that she or he gets support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Birmingham AL businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be available.

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Enroll in the Right Birmingham Esthetician Course

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Birmingham Alabama.

 

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