How to Find the Best Esthetician Training Program Near Southaven Mississippi
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Southaven MS, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you choose not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Southaven home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right option. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of courses are offered.
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Esthetician 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 Southaven Mississippi 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 programs are advantageous for Southaven MS students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as short 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're not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes
Below is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Southaven home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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 quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Southaven MS employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Southaven MS salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the Mississippi school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly 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 objective 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 dream is to launch a Southaven MS 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 ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So search for other 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 important that he or she receives assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Southaven MS employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Many 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. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial aid may be available.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Southaven
Enroll in the Right Southaven Esthetician Program
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Southaven Mississippi.
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