How to Find the Right Esthetician Course Near Somerville Massachusetts
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Somerville MA, the process begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Somerville residence. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of training programs are available.
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 Somerville 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 Programs
Online esthetician classes are convenient for Somerville MA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the training program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Classes
Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Somerville home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you select 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 measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered 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 Somerville MA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Somerville MA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing 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 imperative that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Somerville MA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that she or he gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Somerville MA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may 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 satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be offered.
More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in Somerville
Enroll in the Best Somerville Esthetician Course
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Somerville Massachusetts.
Somerville Esthetician Schools | Somerville Esthetician Schools Online