How to Pick the Best Aesthetician Course Near North Chicago Illinois

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near North Chicago IL, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you select not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your North Chicago home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of programs are available.

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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 North Chicago 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 Schools

Online esthetician schools are advantageous for North Chicago IL students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large 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 travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs

Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your North Chicago home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician school 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous North Chicago IL businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with North Chicago IL salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. 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?  A number of 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, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 aspiration is to launch a North Chicago 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?  Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she gets assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with North Chicago IL businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 available to students as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

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Enroll in the Best North Chicago Esthetician Course

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in North Chicago Illinois.

 

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