How to Pick the Right Esthetician School Near Langley Park Maryland

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Langley Park MD, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you select not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear 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 anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Langley Park residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal choice. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of programs are available.

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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 Langley 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 Esthetics Schools

Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Langley Park MD students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Programs

Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Langley Park residence, together with the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled 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 certain that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often 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, many Langley Park 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 Good Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Langley Park MD salon owners or managers, or someone 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 finally, consult the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing 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 often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a Langley 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that she or he receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Langley Park MD businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  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 office. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 offered to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be offered.

More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in Langley Park

Enroll in the Best Langley Park Esthetician Course

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Langley Park Maryland.

 

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