How to Enroll In the Right Esthetician College Near West Des Moines Iowa

Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near West Des Moines IA, the process begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you select not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather 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 kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your West Des Moines residence. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when assessing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training programs are available.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!

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 Schools

Online esthetician programs are convenient for West Des Moines IA students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs

Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your West Des Moines home, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many West Des Moines IA employers 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 institute that you are seriously considering 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 businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as 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 business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Iowa school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating 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 typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective 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 West Des Moines IA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So look for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with West Des Moines IA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out 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 Assistance Available?  Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in West Des Moines

Enroll in the Right West Des Moines Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in West Des Moines Iowa.

 

West Des Moines Aesthetician Schools Near Me | West Des Moines Esthetician Schools Near Me