How to Select the Right Esthetician School Near Aston Pennsylvania

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Aston PA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Aston residence. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right choice. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Aston Pennsylvania spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.

Online Esthetician Schools

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Aston PA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Aesthetician Schools

Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Aston home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely 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 narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician college you choose 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Aston PA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. 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, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Aston PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted 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, focusing on all facets 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 pick 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to open a Aston PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses 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 program furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she gets aid in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Aston PA businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Aston

Enroll in the Best Aston Esthetician Program

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Aston Pennsylvania.

 

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