How to Pick the Right Aesthetician College Near Lakewood California
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lakewood CA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lakewood residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best option. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example 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 little bit about what types of training programs are offered.
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Esthetics Training Requirements
An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.
Esthetician Job Description
An esthetician is a professional skin specialist who identifies cosmetic issues (such as wrinkles, pigmentation, or blemishes) and applies treatments to improve their condition. Most estheticians perform skin treatments like facials, superficial chemical peels, body treatments, skin conditioning, and blemish extraction, but they may also do waxing, lash extensions, and makeovers. Estheticians, unlike licensed cosmetologists, are also able to provide advanced treatments like microdermabrasion, chemical peels, light therapy, and hair removal. They may also educate clients on products, skincare regimens, and the benefits of esthetic procedures. Medical estheticians in clinical settings may help people identify and recover from health issues affecting the skin, such as working with cancer patients or burn victims after surgical procedures. Typically an esthetician works with a client in a spa or salon setting. Some estheticians work in a medical setting to complement medical services, such as in a dermatologist’s office, but they are not medical professionals. Estheticians may also work in locations as varied as Lakewood California nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.
Online Esthetics Schools
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Lakewood CA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lakewood residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Lakewood CA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Lakewood CA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, check with 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 Specialty? 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, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in a school that specializes in 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 desire is to open 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. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that he or she gets aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Lakewood CA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask 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 Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Lakewood
Enroll in the Right Lakewood Esthetician Training
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin 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 choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Lakewood California.
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