How to Select the Best Aesthetician School Near Lakeland Florida
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lakeland FL, the task begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you select not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lakeland home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not always the best choice. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of programs are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetics 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
An esthetician is a professional skin specialist who identifies cosmetic issues (such as wrinkles, pigmentation, or blemishes) and applies treatments to improve their condition. Most estheticians perform skin treatments like facials, superficial chemical peels, body treatments, skin conditioning, and blemish extraction, but they may also do waxing, lash extensions, and makeovers. Estheticians, unlike licensed cosmetologists, are also able to provide advanced treatments like microdermabrasion, chemical peels, light therapy, and hair removal. They may also educate clients on products, skincare regimens, and the benefits of esthetic procedures. Medical estheticians in clinical settings may help people identify and recover from health issues affecting the skin, such as working with cancer patients or burn victims after surgical procedures. Typically an esthetician works with a client in a spa or salon setting. Some estheticians work in a medical setting to complement medical services, such as in a dermatologist’s office, but they are not medical professionals. Estheticians may also work in locations as varied as Lakeland Florida nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.
Online Esthetics Training
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Lakeland FL students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area 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.
What to Ask Esthetics Training Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lakeland residence, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School 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 meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Lakeland FL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify 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 organizations. If you have any contacts with Lakeland FL 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 suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Florida school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a Lakeland FL 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that she or he receives support in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Lakeland FL employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in Lakeland
Enroll in the Best Lakeland Esthetician Training
Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process 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 answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Lakeland Florida.
Lakeland Esthetician Training | Lakeland Esthetician Classes Near Me