How to Find the Best Esthetician College Near Dover New Hampshire
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Dover NH, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It's important that the program you select not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Dover residence. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the best option. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training programs are available.
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Esthetician 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 Dover New Hampshire nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.
Online Esthetics Classes
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Dover NH students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs 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're not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital 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 required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Programs
Following is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Dover residence, together with the cost of tuition, will probably 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 narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable 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 Dover NH businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those 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 field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Dover NH salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, check with the New Hampshire school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular 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 select a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition 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 vision is to launch a Dover NH 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's essential that she or he gets aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Dover NH businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? 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 department. Talk to 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 available to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option until you find out what financial help may be available.
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Enroll in the Best Dover Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Dover New Hampshire.