How to Enroll In the Best Aesthetician Program Near El Mirage Arizona
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near El Mirage AZ, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your El Mirage home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of courses are available.
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Esthetics Training Programs
An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.
Esthetician Job Description
An esthetician is a professional skin specialist who identifies cosmetic issues (such as wrinkles, pigmentation, or blemishes) and applies treatments to improve their condition. Most estheticians perform skin treatments like facials, superficial chemical peels, body treatments, skin conditioning, and blemish extraction, but they may also do waxing, lash extensions, and makeovers. Estheticians, unlike licensed cosmetologists, are also able to provide advanced treatments like microdermabrasion, chemical peels, light therapy, and hair removal. They may also educate clients on products, skincare regimens, and the benefits of esthetic procedures. Medical estheticians in clinical settings may help people identify and recover from health issues affecting the skin, such as working with cancer patients or burn victims after surgical procedures. Typically an esthetician works with a client in a spa or salon setting. Some estheticians work in a medical setting to complement medical services, such as in a dermatologist’s office, but they are not medical professionals. Estheticians may also work in locations as varied as El Mirage Arizona nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.
Online Esthetician Training
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for El Mirage AZ students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's important that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure 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 required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your El Mirage residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often 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, many El Mirage AZ businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with El Mirage AZ salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, check with the Arizona 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? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition 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 open a El Mirage AZ beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with El Mirage AZ businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an option until you determine what financial assistance may be provided.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in El Mirage
Enroll in the Best El Mirage Esthetician Course
Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in El Mirage Arizona.
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