How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician College Near Abington Pennsylvania
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Abington PA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Abington home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training programs are available.
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Esthetics 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 Abington Pennsylvania 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 Classes
Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Abington PA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced since many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetics Schools
Below is a list of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Abington residence, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Abington PA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Abington PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Pennsylvania 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 Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating 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 often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to launch a Abington PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she receives aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Abington PA employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 accessible to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Abington
Enroll in the Right Abington Esthetician Training
Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Abington Pennsylvania.
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