How to Select the Right Aesthetician Classes Near Lakewood Colorado
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lakewood CO, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you select not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lakewood home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best choice. There are many other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Lakewood Colorado spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.
Online Esthetician Training
Online esthetician programs are convenient for Lakewood CO students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Courses
Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Lakewood home, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician college you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Lakewood CO employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Lakewood CO salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the Colorado school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in 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 vision is to start a Lakewood CO beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he receives aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Lakewood CO employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify 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 available to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Lakewood
Enroll in the Best Lakewood Esthetician Course
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have excellent 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 examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Lakewood Colorado.
Lakewood Esthetician Classes | Lakewood Medical Esthetician Schools