How to Choose the Best Aesthetician College Near East Lyme Connecticut
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near East Lyme CT, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your East Lyme home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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 types of training programs are offered.
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Esthetician Training Requirements
An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.
Esthetician Job Description
As skilled skincare experts, estheticians need to be knowledgeable of everything from skin histology and physiology to bacteriology and sanitation protocols. As beauty professionals, estheticians must be trained to perform the services that promote healthy, radiant skin – including everything from hair removal methods, pore cleansing and extractions to microdermabrasion, makeup artistry, chemical peels, and light therapy. As beauty and wellness experts, people also turn to estheticians for consultations, advice, and tips for home skincare regimens. They may recommend products, educate clients, and recommend esthetic procedures based on their clients’ needs and wants. Their work environments can include East Lyme Connecticut spas, resorts, salons, hospitals, nursing facilities and dermatologist offices.
Online Esthetics Classes
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for East Lyme CT students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you pick can provide internship training in local 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 gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Training Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your East Lyme home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many East Lyme CT employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college 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 employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with East Lyme CT 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 propose others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the Connecticut school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select a school that specializes in 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 start a East Lyme CT 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 rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. 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 site that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So try to find other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she gets aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with East Lyme CT employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be available.
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Enroll in the Best East Lyme Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented 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 exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in East Lyme Connecticut.
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