How to Pick the Best Aesthetician College Near Bristol Illinois
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Bristol IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Bristol home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the right option. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of courses are offered.
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Esthetician Training Programs
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 Bristol 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 Training
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Bristol IL students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced because many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's important that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Bristol home, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Bristol IL businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Bristol IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Illinois school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to launch a Bristol IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she receives aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Bristol IL employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify 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 available to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Bristol
Enroll in the Best Bristol Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to receive the proper 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. Make certain to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Bristol Illinois.