How to Select the Best Aesthetician School Near New Bedford Massachusetts

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near New Bedford MA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your New Bedford home. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of programs are offered.

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

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 New Bedford 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 Schools

Online esthetician programs are convenient for New Bedford MA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills required 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 provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Programs

Below is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your New Bedford home, 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 undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician school you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified 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 may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of New Bedford MA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with New Bedford MA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to start a New Bedford MA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's imperative that he or she receives assistance in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with New Bedford MA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in New Bedford

Enroll in the Right New Bedford Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you receive from the cosmetology 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 college and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in New Bedford Massachusetts.

 

New Bedford Medical Esthetician Schools | New Bedford Aesthetician Schools Near Me