How to Pick the Right Aesthetician Program Near Brea California
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Brea CA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's important that the school you select not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit 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 anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Brea home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of programs are offered.
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Esthetics 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 Brea California 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 convenient for Brea CA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Schools
Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Brea residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably 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 narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Brea CA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references 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 regarded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Brea CA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 Brea CA 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 rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that she or he receives help in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Brea CA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify 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 accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Brea
Enroll in the Right Brea Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter 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 qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Brea California.