How to Choose the Best Esthetician Classes Near Gilbert Arizona
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Gilbert AZ, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you select not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Gilbert home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the right option. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of programs are offered.
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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 Gilbert Arizona 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 classes are accommodating for Gilbert AZ students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Gilbert residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Gilbert AZ 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? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Gilbert AZ salon owners or managers, or any person 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 thought of. And finally, consult the Arizona school licensing authority to find out 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 facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select a school that focuses on 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 start a Gilbert AZ beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that he or she receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Gilbert AZ employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Gilbert
Enroll in the Best Gilbert Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address 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 test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Gilbert Arizona.