How to Enroll In the Best Esthetician Program Near Ankeny Iowa

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Ankeny IA, the task starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Ankeny residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of courses 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 Ankeny 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 Esthetician Schools

Online esthetician schools are convenient for Ankeny IA students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be 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 Programs

Below is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Ankeny residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often 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 concluding benefit, many Ankeny IA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Ankeny IA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Iowa school licensing authority to see 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, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to start a Ankeny IA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that she or he gets aid in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Ankeny IA employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 available to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Ankeny

Enroll in the Right Ankeny Esthetician Training

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Ankeny Iowa.

 

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