How to Find the Right Aesthetician Program Near Lawrence Massachusetts

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lawrence MA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lawrence home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of courses 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 Lawrence 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 programs are advantageous for Lawrence MA students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs 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 dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's vital that the program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet 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.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lawrence residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your initial 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 additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician college you enroll in 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Lawrence MA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Lawrence MA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal 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 vision is to start a Lawrence MA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's imperative that she or he receives support in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Lawrence MA businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 available to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be available.

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Enroll in the Right Lawrence Esthetician Course

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to obtain the necessary 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 compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Lawrence Massachusetts.

 

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