How to Select the Right Aesthetician Training Near Dedham Massachusetts
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Dedham MA, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the program you choose not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Dedham home. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the right option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of programs are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetician 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 Dedham 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 Classes
Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Dedham MA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced because many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so 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 area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Courses
Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Dedham home, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt 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 take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those additional 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 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Dedham MA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician institute 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 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 in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Dedham MA salon owners or managers, or someone 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 looked into. And last, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to open a Dedham MA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that she or he receives aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Dedham MA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide 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. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Dedham
Enroll in the Right Dedham Esthetician Training
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, 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 launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Dedham Massachusetts.