How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician School Near Sacramento California
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Sacramento CA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you choose not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit confused 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 kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Sacramento home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the ideal 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 concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.
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Esthetics 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 Sacramento 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 classes are convenient for Sacramento CA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it's vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Schools
Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Sacramento home, as well as the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Sacramento CA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Sacramento CA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose 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 well regarded for that program. If your vision is to open a Sacramento CA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that she or he receives aid in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Sacramento CA businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out 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 Available? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in Sacramento
Enroll in the Best Sacramento Esthetician Program
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Sacramento California.
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