How to Select the Right Esthetician School Near Owensboro Kentucky
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Owensboro KY, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's important that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Owensboro residence. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best choice. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of programs are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetics 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 Owensboro Kentucky 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 Classes
Online esthetician schools are convenient for Owensboro KY students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it's imperative that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required 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 Esthetician Programs
Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Owensboro residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in 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 measure up to their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Owensboro KY businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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 sought after. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Owensboro KY salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Kentucky school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to open a Owensboro KY beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she receives aid in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Owensboro KY employers that are looking for qualified 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. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be provided.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Owensboro
Enroll in the Right Owensboro Esthetician Program
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Owensboro Kentucky.
Owensboro Medical Esthetician Schools | Owensboro Aesthetician Schools Near Me