How to Select the Best Aesthetician School Near East Saint Louis Illinois

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near East Saint Louis IL, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your East Saint Louis home. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal option. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance 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 discuss a bit about what types of programs are offered.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!

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 East Saint Louis 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 advantageous for East Saint Louis IL students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your East Saint Louis home, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician training program you choose 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of East Saint Louis IL employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each 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 testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with East Saint Louis IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 desire is to open a East Saint Louis IL beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. So search for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that she or he gets help in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with East Saint Louis IL employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Most esthetician schools provide 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 learn 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 also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in East Saint Louis

Enroll in the Right East Saint Louis Esthetician Training

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in East Saint Louis Illinois.

 

East Saint Louis Esthetician Programs | East Saint Louis How To Become An Esthetician