How to Choose the Best Aesthetician Program Near Andover Massachusetts

Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Andover MA, the task begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you choose not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically 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 Andover home. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the right choice. There are various other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of training programs are offered.

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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 Andover Massachusetts 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 Courses

Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Andover MA students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Aesthetician Schools

Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Andover residence, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary 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 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 may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Andover MA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Andover MA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 dream is to launch a Andover MA beauty salon, then you need 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 seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she receives assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Andover MA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected 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 investigating have a financial aid department. 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 offered to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be available.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Andover

Enroll in the Right Andover Esthetician Course

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. 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 right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Andover Massachusetts.

 

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