How to Select the Right Aesthetician College Near Beltsville Maryland
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Beltsville MD, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's imperative 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 examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Beltsville residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the right option. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training programs are available.
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Esthetician Training Programs
An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.
Esthetician Job Description
An esthetician is a professional skin specialist who identifies cosmetic issues (such as wrinkles, pigmentation, or blemishes) and applies treatments to improve their condition. Most estheticians perform skin treatments like facials, superficial chemical peels, body treatments, skin conditioning, and blemish extraction, but they may also do waxing, lash extensions, and makeovers. Estheticians, unlike licensed cosmetologists, are also able to provide advanced treatments like microdermabrasion, chemical peels, light therapy, and hair removal. They may also educate clients on products, skincare regimens, and the benefits of esthetic procedures. Medical estheticians in clinical settings may help people identify and recover from health issues affecting the skin, such as working with cancer patients or burn victims after surgical procedures. Typically an esthetician works with a client in a spa or salon setting. Some estheticians work in a medical setting to complement medical services, such as in a dermatologist’s office, but they are not medical professionals. Estheticians may also work in locations as varied as Beltsville Maryland nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.
Online Esthetics Programs
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Beltsville MD students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Training Courses
Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Beltsville residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Beltsville MD businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may 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 field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Beltsville MD salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And finally, consult the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that focuses on 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 respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Beltsville MD beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses 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 program provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that he or she gets aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Beltsville MD employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm 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. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial aid may be available.
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Enroll in the Right Beltsville Esthetician Training
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Beltsville Maryland.
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