How to Choose the Best Aesthetician Training Near Lexington Kentucky
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lexington KY, the process starts to find and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you choose not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lexington home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right option. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when analyzing 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 discuss a bit about what kinds of training 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Lexington Kentucky spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.
Online Esthetics Training
Online esthetician classes are convenient for Lexington KY students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced because many courses are as short 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 devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs
Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Lexington residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices 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 compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet 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, numerous Lexington KY businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Lexington KY salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Kentucky 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? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 dream is to launch a Lexington KY 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 pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that she or he receives assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Lexington KY businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive 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. Find out 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 belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you determine what financial aid may be offered.
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Enroll in the Best Lexington Esthetician Course
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce 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 prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Lexington Kentucky.
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