How to Choose the Best Aesthetician College Near Edwardsville Illinois
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Edwardsville IL, the process starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you select not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Edwardsville residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the ideal option. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of training programs 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 Edwardsville 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 schools are advantageous for Edwardsville IL students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced since many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Training Classes
Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Edwardsville residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably 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 narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician training program you select 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Edwardsville IL employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may 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 exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Edwardsville IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And last, check with 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 expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that focuses on 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 dream is to open a Edwardsville IL beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that she or he receives support in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Edwardsville IL businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out 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 Available? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Edwardsville
Enroll in the Best Edwardsville Esthetician Course
Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Edwardsville Illinois.
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