How to Find the Right Esthetician Training Near Norman Oklahoma
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Norman OK, the process begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you pick not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Norman residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the best choice. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what types of training programs are available.
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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 Norman Oklahoma 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 Schools
Online esthetician classes are convenient for Norman OK students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetics Trade Schools
Below is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Norman home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician school you select 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential 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, a number of Norman OK employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Norman OK salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, consult the Oklahoma 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 Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to launch a Norman OK beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide aid develop relationships with Norman OK employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might 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 satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an alternative before you learn what financial help may be offered.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Norman
Enroll in the Right Norman Esthetician Course
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Norman Oklahoma.