How to Choose the Right Esthetician School Near Lake Forest Illinois

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lake Forest IL, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you select not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lake Forest residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine 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 programs are available.

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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 Lake Forest 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 Esthetician Classes

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Lake Forest IL students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools

Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lake Forest home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Lake Forest IL businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. 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 sought after. Check rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Lake Forest IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Illinois school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to open a Lake Forest 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that he or she gets support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Lake Forest IL businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Almost all 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 might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial help may be provided.

More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Lake Forest

Enroll in the Right Lake Forest Esthetician Program

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Lake Forest Illinois.

 

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