How to Find the Right Esthetician School Near Oxon Hill Maryland

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Oxon Hill MD, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Oxon Hill residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the right option. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Oxon Hill Maryland spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.

Online Esthetician Training

Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Oxon Hill MD students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Classes

Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Oxon Hill home, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Oxon Hill MD employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding 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. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Oxon Hill MD salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the Maryland school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to start a Oxon Hill MD beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best 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?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that she or he gets support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Oxon Hill MD businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, 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 Aid Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 available to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Oxon Hill

Enroll in the Right Oxon Hill Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident 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 utilize that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Oxon Hill Maryland.

 

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