How to Pick the Best Aesthetician School Near Boulder Colorado

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Boulder CO, the process starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the school you pick not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Boulder home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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 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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Boulder Colorado 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 Esthetician Classes

Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Boulder CO students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it's essential that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Programs

Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Boulder home, as well as the cost of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician school you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can 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 several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Boulder CO businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Boulder CO salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, check with the Colorado school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing 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 well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Boulder CO 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as 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 offer aid develop relationships with Boulder CO businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Boulder

Enroll in the Right Boulder Esthetician Training

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, 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 test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Boulder Colorado.

 

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