How to Choose the Right Esthetician Classes Near Lakewood California
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lakewood CA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled 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 need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lakewood residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of training programs are offered.
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Esthetics 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Lakewood California spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.
Online Esthetics Courses
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Lakewood CA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Programs
Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lakewood residence, in addition to the expense 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 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 school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
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 acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically 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, many Lakewood CA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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 sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Lakewood CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, contact the California school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many 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 commonly 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 objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to start a Lakewood CA beauty salon, then you want 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 poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she receives assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Lakewood CA employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations 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 respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? 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. Speak with 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 fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be available.
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Enroll in the Right Lakewood Esthetician Training
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate 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 contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start 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 selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Lakewood California.
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