How to Select the Right Esthetician Course Near Dothan Alabama

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Dothan AL, the process begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you select not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Dothan home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the ideal option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of courses are available.

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Esthetician Training Requirements

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 Dothan 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 classes are advantageous for Dothan AL students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Schools

Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Dothan residence, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Dothan AL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Dothan AL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the Alabama school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to start a Dothan AL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that she or he receives support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Dothan AL employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify 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 provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Dothan

Enroll in the Right Dothan Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Dothan Alabama.

 

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