How to Find the Best Esthetician School Near Saratoga Springs New York

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Saratoga Springs NY, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Saratoga Springs home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types 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 Saratoga Springs New York 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 programs are accommodating for Saratoga Springs NY students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Training Courses

Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Saratoga Springs residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician college you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Saratoga Springs NY employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Saratoga Springs NY salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the New York school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete 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 specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select 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 vision is to open a Saratoga Springs NY 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 rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she receives help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Saratoga Springs NY employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, 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. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved 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 all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be provided.

More Info on How to Become an Esthetician in Saratoga Springs

Enroll in the Best Saratoga Springs Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Saratoga Springs New York.

 

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