How to Pick the Best Aesthetician Classes Near East Palo Alto California
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near East Palo Alto CA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you select not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your East Palo Alto residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of courses are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
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 East Palo Alto 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 Programs
Online esthetician programs are accommodating for East Palo Alto CA students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes
Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your East Palo Alto home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably 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 even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician college you select 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of East Palo Alto CA 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 school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with East Palo Alto CA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the California 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? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in 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 respected for that program. If your dream is to start a East Palo Alto CA 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore look for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she receives help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with East Palo Alto CA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out 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 accessible to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be offered.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in East Palo Alto
Enroll in the Best East Palo Alto Esthetician Program
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy 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 article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in East Palo Alto California.
East Palo Alto Esthetician Programs Near Me | East Palo Alto Esthetician Courses