How to Choose the Best Aesthetician School Near New Bedford Massachusetts
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend 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 select not only furnishes the appropriate education 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 unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your New Bedford home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the best option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of courses are offered.
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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 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 Esthetics Training
Online esthetician classes are accommodating for New Bedford MA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools
Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your New Bedford home, as well as the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly 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 reduced 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 compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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 comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available 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 New Bedford MA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with New Bedford MA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand 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 ambition 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 aspiration is to open a New Bedford MA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct 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 Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that she or he receives assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with New Bedford MA employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 offered to students also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you learn what financial help may be available.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in New Bedford
Enroll in the Best New Bedford Esthetician Training
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the responses you receive from the beauty 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 impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address 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 examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in New Bedford Massachusetts.
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