How to Find the Right Esthetician Classes Near Lemont Illinois
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lemont IL, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather confused about the contrast 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 anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lemont home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best option. There are many other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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 types of training programs are offered.
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Esthetics 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 Lemont 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 Classes
Online esthetician schools are convenient for Lemont IL students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part 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 choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Classes
Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Lemont home, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Lemont IL employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Lemont IL salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, contact 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 Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select 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 respected for that program. If your desire is to start a Lemont 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 rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that she or he gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Lemont IL employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask 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 Aid Available? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Lemont
Enroll in the Best Lemont Esthetician Program
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, 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 prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Lemont Illinois.