How to Enroll In the Best Esthetician College Near Saratoga California
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Saratoga CA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you select not only provides the appropriate instruction 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 rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Saratoga residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the best option. There are several other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of programs 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 Saratoga 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 Courses
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Saratoga CA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Schools
Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Saratoga home, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Saratoga CA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Saratoga CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the California school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 Saratoga CA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that she or he gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Saratoga CA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded 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 reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to 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 accessible to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option until you learn what financial help may be available.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Saratoga
Enroll in the Right Saratoga Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Saratoga California.
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