How to Select the Best Aesthetician College Near Reisterstown Maryland
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Reisterstown MD, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather puzzled 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 type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Reisterstown home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the best choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of 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 Reisterstown 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 Esthetician Schools
Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Reisterstown MD students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Training Programs
Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Reisterstown home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important 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 agency, 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 may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Reisterstown MD employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each 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 testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify 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 organizations. If you have any connections with Reisterstown MD salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, 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 finally, consult the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as 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 specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 start a Reisterstown 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 deliver the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she gets assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Reisterstown MD businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? 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 office. Consult 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 meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an option before you find out what financial help may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Reisterstown
Enroll in the Right Reisterstown Esthetician Program
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to consolidate 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 process is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Reisterstown Maryland.
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