How to Choose the Best Aesthetician School Near Ames Iowa
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Ames IA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Ames home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of programs are offered.
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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 Ames Iowa 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 convenient for Ames IA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Training Classes
Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Ames home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial 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 must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician college 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Ames IA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Ames IA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, 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. Finally, contact the Iowa school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted 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, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that focuses on 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 Ames IA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that she or he gets aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Ames IA employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option until you determine what financial help may be offered.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Ames
Enroll in the Best Ames Esthetician Course
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Ames Iowa.