How to Enroll In the Right Esthetician College Near Germantown Maryland

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Germantown MD, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the school you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Germantown residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the right option. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of courses are offered.

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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 Germantown 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 Programs

Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Germantown MD students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight 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 devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Classes

Following is a list of questions that you will want 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 Germantown home, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your first 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 options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician training program 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 meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Germantown MD employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Germantown MD salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, check with the Maryland 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?  A number of 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 frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 Germantown MD beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that he or she receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with Germantown MD businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask 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 Aid Available?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be provided.

More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Germantown

Enroll in the Right Germantown Esthetician Program

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Germantown Maryland.

 

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