How to Pick the Right Aesthetician College Near Lafayette California

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lafayette CA, the process begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the difference 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 intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lafayette home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the right choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of courses are offered.

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 Lafayette 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 Schools

Online esthetician classes are convenient for Lafayette CA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive 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 provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Programs

Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lafayette home, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Lafayette CA businesses will not employ 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 institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Lafayette CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the California school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance 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 intention 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 aspiration is to launch a Lafayette CA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she receives support in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Lafayette CA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify 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 satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you determine what financial aid may be available.

More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Lafayette

Enroll in the Right Lafayette Esthetician Program

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is essential to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Lafayette California.

 

Lafayette Esthetician Courses Online | Lafayette Esthetician Classes