How to Enroll In the Best Esthetician College Near Towson Maryland

Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Towson MD, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the program you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Towson residence. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance 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 talk a bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.

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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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Towson 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 Schools

Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Towson MD students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since 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 courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Following is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Towson home, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Towson MD employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Towson MD salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the Maryland school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  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 specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in a school that focuses on 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 respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Towson MD beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct 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 require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So try to find other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she gets support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Towson MD employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Almost all esthetician schools provide 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 qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you find out what financial help may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Towson

Enroll in the Right Towson Esthetician Training

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution 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 presented in this post, 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 exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Towson Maryland.

 

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