How to Pick the Best Esthetician School Near Decatur Alabama

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Decatur AL, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Decatur residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of programs are offered.

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Esthetician 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Decatur Alabama spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.

Online Esthetics Courses

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Decatur AL students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the training program you select 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 required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Courses

Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Decatur residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make sure 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Decatur AL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Decatur AL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Alabama school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to launch a Decatur 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she gets aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Decatur AL employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option until you determine what financial help may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Decatur

Enroll in the Right Decatur Esthetician Course

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Decatur Alabama.

 

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