How to Select the Best Esthetician Program Near Raleigh North Carolina
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Raleigh NC, the task begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the program you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Raleigh residence. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when reviewing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not always the right choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.
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Esthetician 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 Raleigh North Carolina 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 advantageous for Raleigh NC students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Classes
Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Raleigh home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Raleigh NC businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician institute 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 references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Raleigh NC salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the North Carolina school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative 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 aspiration is to start a Raleigh NC 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 pursuing will not deliver the training you need.
Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that furnish this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she receives assistance in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Raleigh NC businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 accessible to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be provided.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Raleigh
Enroll in the Best Raleigh Esthetician Training
Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Raleigh North Carolina.