How to Select the Right Esthetician Program Near Kirkwood Missouri

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Kirkwood MO, the task begins to find and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you choose not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain 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 Kirkwood home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right choice. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of programs are offered.

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Esthetics Training Programs

An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.

Esthetician Job Description

An esthetician is a professional skin specialist who identifies cosmetic issues (such as wrinkles, pigmentation, or blemishes) and applies treatments to improve their condition. Most estheticians perform skin treatments like facials, superficial chemical peels, body treatments, skin conditioning, and blemish extraction, but they may also do waxing, lash extensions, and makeovers. Estheticians, unlike licensed cosmetologists, are also able to provide advanced treatments like microdermabrasion, chemical peels, light therapy, and hair removal. They may also educate clients on products, skincare regimens, and the benefits of esthetic procedures. Medical estheticians in clinical settings may help people identify and recover from health issues affecting the skin, such as working with cancer patients or burn victims after surgical procedures. Typically an esthetician works with a client in a spa or salon setting. Some estheticians work in a medical setting to complement medical services, such as in a dermatologist’s office, but they are not medical professionals. Estheticians may also work in locations as varied as Kirkwood Missouri nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.

Online Esthetician Classes

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Kirkwood MO students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in area 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 impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs

Below is a list of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Kirkwood home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Kirkwood MO employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably 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 industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Kirkwood MO salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Missouri school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed 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, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose 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 dream is to open a Kirkwood MO 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 deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that she or he gets support in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Kirkwood MO businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses 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 Aid Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you determine what financial assistance may be offered.

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Enroll in the Right Kirkwood Esthetician Course

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to reduce 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 ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Kirkwood Missouri.

 

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