How to Pick the Best Esthetician College Near Bethlehem Pennsylvania

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Bethlehem PA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you select not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast 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 anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Bethlehem home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the right option. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance 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 talk a little bit about what kinds of training programs are available.

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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 Bethlehem 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 Esthetician Schools

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Bethlehem PA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Programs

Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Bethlehem home, together with the price of tuition, will undoubtedly 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 options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician school you choose 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 can also be necessary for acquiring 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, numerous Bethlehem PA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers 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 together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Bethlehem PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you enroll in 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 well regarded for that program. If your desire is to launch a Bethlehem PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's crucial that he or she receives aid in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Bethlehem PA businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be available.

More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Bethlehem

Enroll in the Best Bethlehem Esthetician Program

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to consolidate all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Bethlehem Pennsylvania.

 

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