How to Select the Right Esthetician Course Near Andover Massachusetts

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Andover MA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Andover residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the best choice. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.

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Esthetician 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 Esthetics Classes

Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Andover MA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume 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 imperative that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. 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 Aesthetician Degree Programs

Below is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Andover residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Andover MA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Every esthetician school 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 testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Andover MA salon owners or managers, or any person 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 considered. Finally, consult the Massachusetts 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?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular 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 specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 Andover MA 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she receives help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Andover MA businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved 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 fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be offered.

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Enroll in the Right Andover Esthetician Program

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, 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 proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Andover Massachusetts.

 

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