How to Pick the Best Aesthetician Classes Near West Des Moines Iowa

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near West Des Moines IA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you select not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your West Des Moines residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best choice. There are a number of other considerations 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 thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.

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Esthetics 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 Des Moines 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 Training

Online esthetician programs are convenient for West Des Moines IA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty 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 due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Schools

Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your West Des Moines home, as well as the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important 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 measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many West Des Moines IA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with West Des Moines IA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Iowa school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas 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 enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal 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 launch a West Des Moines IA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that she or he gets assistance in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with West Des Moines IA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in West Des Moines

Enroll in the Best West Des Moines Esthetician Program

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in West Des Moines Iowa.

 

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