How to Pick the Best Esthetician School Near Boise Idaho
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Boise ID, the process starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Boise home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the best option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds 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 Boise Idaho 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 Esthetics Programs
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Boise ID students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of 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 local 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 difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Boise home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed 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 put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Boise ID businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. 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, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Boise ID salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Idaho school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in 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 aspiration is to launch a Boise ID beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting 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? Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she gets assistance in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Boise ID employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating 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 extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded 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 considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out 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 eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be offered.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Boise
Enroll in the Right Boise Esthetician Course
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal 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 Boise Idaho.
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