How to Pick the Best Esthetician Training Near West Lafayette Indiana
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near West Lafayette IN, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused 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 type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your West Lafayette residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the right choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of training 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 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 Esthetician Classes
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for West Lafayette IN students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's vital that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Trade Schools
Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your West Lafayette residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you pick 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous West Lafayette IN employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm 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 organizations. If you have any connections with West Lafayette IN salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the Indiana school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some 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, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a West Lafayette IN beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that she or he receives help in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with West Lafayette IN employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be available.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in West Lafayette
Enroll in the Right West Lafayette Esthetician Program
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, 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 right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in West Lafayette Indiana.
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