How to Select the Right Esthetician School Near South Elgin Illinois

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near South Elgin IL, the process starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain 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 South Elgin residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right choice. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of courses 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 South Elgin 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 Training

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for South Elgin IL students who are employed 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 personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Programs

Following 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 relative to your South Elgin home, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many South Elgin IL employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. 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, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with South Elgin IL salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may 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 grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a South Elgin 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 seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that he or she receives aid in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with South Elgin IL employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Many 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 find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of 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 drop it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in South Elgin

Enroll in the Best South Elgin Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in South Elgin Illinois.

 

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