How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician Training Near Norristown Pennsylvania

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Norristown PA, the process begins to find and enroll in the right program. It's imperative that the program you choose not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Norristown home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the ideal option. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of training programs are offered.

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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 Norristown 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 schools are advantageous for Norristown PA students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain 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 confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Norristown residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional 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 important to make certain 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Norristown PA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Norristown PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas 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 enroll in 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 dream is to start a Norristown PA 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 pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she gets support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Norristown PA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating 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 with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Norristown

Enroll in the Best Norristown Esthetician Program

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Norristown Pennsylvania.

 

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