How to Choose the Right Aesthetician Classes Near Montgomery Village Maryland
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Montgomery Village MD, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's important that the school you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Montgomery Village home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of courses are offered.
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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 Montgomery Village 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 schools are convenient for Montgomery Village MD students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the training program 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 obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Schools
Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Montgomery Village home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Montgomery Village MD businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Montgomery Village MD salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Maryland school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete 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, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 aspiration is to open a Montgomery Village 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 pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So search for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Montgomery Village MD employers that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to 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 accessible to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be offered.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Montgomery Village
Enroll in the Best Montgomery Village Esthetician Course
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Montgomery Village Maryland.
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