How to Choose the Best Esthetician Training Program Near Columbia Maryland

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Columbia MD, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you choose not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain 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 Columbia residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the best choice. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance 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 discuss a little bit about what types of training programs are available.

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Esthetician 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 Columbia 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 Esthetics Training

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Columbia MD students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Aesthetician Schools

Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Columbia home, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician training program you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable 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 Columbia MD employers will not employ 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 institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Columbia MD salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Maryland school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering 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 imperative that you enroll in a school that specializes in 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 dream is to launch a Columbia MD 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 ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that she or he receives help in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Columbia MD employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating 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 verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be provided.

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Enroll in the Best Columbia Esthetician Training

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Columbia Maryland.

 

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