How to Choose the Best Esthetician School Near Greenwood South Carolina

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Greenwood SC, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Greenwood residence. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not always the right option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of programs are available.

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Esthetics Training Requirements

An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.

Esthetician Job Description

An esthetician is a professional skin specialist who identifies cosmetic issues (such as wrinkles, pigmentation, or blemishes) and applies treatments to improve their condition. Most estheticians perform skin treatments like facials, superficial chemical peels, body treatments, skin conditioning, and blemish extraction, but they may also do waxing, lash extensions, and makeovers. Estheticians, unlike licensed cosmetologists, are also able to provide advanced treatments like microdermabrasion, chemical peels, light therapy, and hair removal. They may also educate clients on products, skincare regimens, and the benefits of esthetic procedures. Medical estheticians in clinical settings may help people identify and recover from health issues affecting the skin, such as working with cancer patients or burn victims after surgical procedures. Typically an esthetician works with a client in a spa or salon setting. Some estheticians work in a medical setting to complement medical services, such as in a dermatologist’s office, but they are not medical professionals. Estheticians may also work in locations as varied as Greenwood South Carolina nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.

Online Esthetics Classes

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Greenwood SC students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Aesthetician Degree Programs

Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Greenwood residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary 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 choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Greenwood SC businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references 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 companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Greenwood SC salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, consult the South Carolina 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 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, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Greenwood SC 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 rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that she or he receives assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Greenwood SC businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Greenwood

Enroll in the Right Greenwood Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Greenwood South Carolina.

 

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