How to Choose the Right Aesthetician College Near Ankeny Iowa

Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Ankeny IA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you choose not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate 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 Ankeny residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when assessing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best option. There are various other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of training programs 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 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 Esthetics Courses

Online esthetician classes are convenient for Ankeny IA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering 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 important that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs

Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Ankeny home, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you choose 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 measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Ankeny IA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials 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 services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Ankeny IA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Iowa school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to open a Ankeny IA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Ankeny IA businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you learn what financial help may be offered.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Ankeny

Enroll in the Best Ankeny Esthetician Training

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is essential to receive 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 compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. 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. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Ankeny Iowa.

 

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