How to Select the Right Aesthetician Program Near Laurel Maryland

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Laurel MD, the process starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the program you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Laurel home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of training programs are available.

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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 Laurel 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 Classes

Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Laurel 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 web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's important that the training program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Aesthetician Schools

Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Laurel residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Laurel MD businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Laurel MD salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, consult the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad 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 commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a Laurel 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 weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that she or he receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Laurel MD businesses that are seeking skilled 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. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide 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. Check 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 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 cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be offered.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Laurel

Enroll in the Right Laurel Esthetician Training

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, 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 proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Laurel Maryland.

 

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