How to Find the Best Esthetician College Near Alpharetta Georgia
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Alpharetta GA, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you pick not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Alpharetta home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best option. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of programs are offered.
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Esthetics 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 Alpharetta Georgia 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 Training
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Alpharetta GA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools
Following is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Alpharetta home, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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 measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often 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, many Alpharetta GA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Alpharetta GA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Georgia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Alpharetta GA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that she or he receives help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Alpharetta GA employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out 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? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may 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 omit it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be provided.
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Enroll in the Right Alpharetta Esthetician Training
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain 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 employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Alpharetta Georgia.
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