How to Select the Best Aesthetician Training Near Lexington Massachusetts

Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lexington MA, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Lexington home. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best choice. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of training programs are offered.

It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!

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 Lexington 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 schools are accommodating for Lexington MA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain 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 verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lexington residence, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician school 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Lexington MA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Lexington MA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many 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, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you select a school that specializes in 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 Lexington MA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that she or he gets help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Lexington MA businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 available to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option until you determine what financial help may be offered.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Lexington

Enroll in the Right Lexington Esthetician Training

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Lexington Massachusetts.

 

Lexington Esthetician Training | Lexington Esthetician Classes Near Me