How to Enroll In the Best Esthetician Training Program Near Oxford Alabama

Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Oxford AL, the process begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the program you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Oxford residence. Tuition will also be a critical factor when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the ideal choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Oxford 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 Training

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Oxford AL students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Aesthetician Schools

Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Oxford home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary 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 concluding benefit, numerous Oxford AL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Oxford AL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Alabama school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to launch a Oxford AL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach 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 provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes 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 program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that he or she gets assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Oxford AL employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, 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 Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be provided.

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Enroll in the Right Oxford Esthetician Training

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Oxford Alabama.

 

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