How to Pick the Best Aesthetician College Near Plymouth Pennsylvania
Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Plymouth PA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the school you select not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Plymouth home. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the right option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing 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 discuss a bit about what kinds of courses 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 Plymouth 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 Programs
Online esthetician classes are convenient for Plymouth PA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's vital that the training program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Programs
Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Plymouth home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider 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 determination.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Plymouth PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Plymouth PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal 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 open a Plymouth PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated 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 perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she gets help in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Plymouth PA employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many esthetician schools provide 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 identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial help may be available.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Plymouth
Enroll in the Best Plymouth Esthetician Program
Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Plymouth Pennsylvania.
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