How to Select the Best Aesthetician School Near Boston Massachusetts

Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Boston MA, the process begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Boston residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are several other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little 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 Boston Massachusetts 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 convenient for Boston MA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities 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 programs are frequently fast paced since many courses are as brief 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 are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Programs

Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Boston residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely 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 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. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often 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 final benefit, many Boston MA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Boston MA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar 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 filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 desire is to open a Boston MA beauty salon, then you need 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 weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that she or he receives assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Boston MA businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be provided.

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Enroll in the Best Boston Esthetician Course

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Boston Massachusetts.

 

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