How to Choose the Right Aesthetician College Near Nashville Tennessee

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Nashville TN, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Nashville home. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when assessing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the ideal option. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of programs are available.

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Esthetician Training Programs

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 Nashville Tennessee 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 Nashville TN students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous 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 often fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Programs

Following is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Nashville residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options 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 every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician college you enroll in 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 essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently 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 concluding benefit, many Nashville TN employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Nashville TN salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Tennessee school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed 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 specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you select a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Nashville TN beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he gets support in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Nashville TN employers that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Most esthetician schools offer 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 belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be offered.

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Enroll in the Right Nashville Esthetician Program

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Nashville Tennessee.

 

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