How to Find the Best Esthetician Program Near North Bethesda Maryland
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near North Bethesda MD, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you select not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your North Bethesda home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the right option. There are several other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of courses are available.
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Esthetician Training Requirements
An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.
Esthetician Job Description
An esthetician is a professional skin specialist who identifies cosmetic issues (such as wrinkles, pigmentation, or blemishes) and applies treatments to improve their condition. Most estheticians perform skin treatments like facials, superficial chemical peels, body treatments, skin conditioning, and blemish extraction, but they may also do waxing, lash extensions, and makeovers. Estheticians, unlike licensed cosmetologists, are also able to provide advanced treatments like microdermabrasion, chemical peels, light therapy, and hair removal. They may also educate clients on products, skincare regimens, and the benefits of esthetic procedures. Medical estheticians in clinical settings may help people identify and recover from health issues affecting the skin, such as working with cancer patients or burn victims after surgical procedures. Typically an esthetician works with a client in a spa or salon setting. Some estheticians work in a medical setting to complement medical services, such as in a dermatologist’s office, but they are not medical professionals. Estheticians may also work in locations as varied as North Bethesda Maryland nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.
Online Esthetics Courses
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for North Bethesda MD students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so 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 required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools
Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your North Bethesda residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician college you select 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered 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 North Bethesda MD employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with North Bethesda MD salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as 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 ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to open a North Bethesda MD beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that she or he receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with North Bethesda MD employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. 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 too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be offered.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in North Bethesda
Enroll in the Right North Bethesda Esthetician Program
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in North Bethesda Maryland.
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