How to Pick the Right Esthetician School Near Pasadena California

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Pasadena CA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you choose 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 initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Pasadena residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the ideal option. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of courses are offered.

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Esthetician 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 Pasadena 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 programs are accommodating for Pasadena CA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the program you select 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 needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Schools

Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Pasadena home, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first 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 options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Pasadena CA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. 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, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Pasadena CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose 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 respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Pasadena 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 regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she receives aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Pasadena CA employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out 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 Available?  The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be offered.

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Enroll in the Right Pasadena Esthetician Program

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Pasadena California.

 

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