How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician School Near Suitland Maryland
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Suitland MD, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the program you select not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Suitland residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not always the right option. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in 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 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 Suitland 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 Training
Online esthetician programs are convenient for Suitland MD students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Training Classes
Below is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Suitland home, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently 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 concluding benefit, many Suitland MD employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Suitland MD salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Maryland school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective 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 start a Suitland 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he gets support in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Suitland MD businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Suitland
Enroll in the Best Suitland Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be 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 responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Suitland Maryland.
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