How to Find the Best Aesthetician Classes Near Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Wilkes Barre PA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Wilkes Barre residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not always the ideal option. There are several other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of courses are offered.
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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 Wilkes Barre 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 Training
Online esthetician programs are convenient for Wilkes Barre PA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are typically fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the training program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Esthetician Training Classes
Below is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Wilkes Barre residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.
Is the Esthetician School 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 agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Wilkes Barre PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Wilkes Barre PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you select a school that focuses on 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch a Wilkes Barre 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she gets assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with Wilkes Barre PA employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you find out what financial assistance may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Wilkes Barre
Enroll in the Best Wilkes Barre Esthetician Program
Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, 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 examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Wilkes Barre Pennsylvania.
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