How to Pick the Best Esthetician Training Program Near College Park Maryland

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near College Park MD, the process starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the program you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your College Park residence. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a 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 College Park Maryland 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 Schools

Online esthetician classes are advantageous for College Park MD students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your College Park home, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary 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 agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many College Park MD employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating 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 College Park MD salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important 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 well regarded for that program. If your vision is to start a College Park MD beauty salon, then you want 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she receives support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with College Park MD businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out 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 Aid Available?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may 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 fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in College Park

Enroll in the Best College Park Esthetician Training

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in College Park Maryland.

 

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