How to Pick the Best Esthetician Training Program Near Lowell Massachusetts

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lowell MA, the process starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the school you select not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lowell home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal option. 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 regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what types of training programs are available.

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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 Lowell 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 Courses

Online esthetician schools are convenient for Lowell MA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Programs

Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Lowell home, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important 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 organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Lowell MA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Lowell MA salon owners or managers, or someone 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 looked into. Finally, check with the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Lowell 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 Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So look for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she gets help in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Lowell MA employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out 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 Offered?  The majority of 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 office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option until you find out what financial help may be available.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Lowell

Enroll in the Best Lowell Esthetician Training

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Lowell Massachusetts.

 

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