How to Pick the Best Aesthetician School Near Belvidere Illinois

Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Belvidere IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Belvidere residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the best choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of courses are available.

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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 provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Belvidere Illinois 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 convenient for Belvidere IL students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Below is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Belvidere home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue 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 even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician college you pick 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Belvidere IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Every esthetician school 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 businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Belvidere IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating 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 typically 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 certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a Belvidere IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that he or she receives aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Belvidere IL businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Belvidere

Enroll in the Best Belvidere Esthetician Course

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Belvidere Illinois.

 

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