How to Pick the Best Aesthetician School Near West Lafayette Indiana
Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near West Lafayette IN, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you select not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your West Lafayette home. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of programs are offered.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetician Training Programs
Esthetics programs, which are available through dedicated schools of esthetics, career colleges or schools of cosmetology, must meet the requirements set forth by each state’s board of cosmetology. Most states recognize esthetics programs that consist of 600 hours of coursework and practical training as meeting the requirements for licensure, although a number of states require more hours while others require significantly fewer. For example, esthetician license candidates in Wisconsin must complete a program that is at least 450 hours long, while candidates in Indiana must complete a program consisting of at least 700 hours. Esthetics programs blend theory and practical study to introduce students to everything from skin histology and sanitation practices to the safe application of facial products and makeup. These programs also include coursework that covers the business, ethics and professional standards of the esthetics industry.
Esthetician Job Description
Estheticians provide a wide range of beauty services to help their West Lafayette Indiana 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 programs are accommodating for West Lafayette IN students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools
Below is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your West Lafayette residence, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many West Lafayette IN employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably 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 excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with West Lafayette IN salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Indiana 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? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition 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 aspiration is to start a West Lafayette IN beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. 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 make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with West Lafayette IN employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools provide 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 might 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 drop it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be provided.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in West Lafayette
Enroll in the Right West Lafayette Esthetician Course
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in West Lafayette Indiana.
West Lafayette Esthetician Training | West Lafayette Esthetician Classes Near Me