How to Pick the Best Esthetician Training Program Near El Paso Texas
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near El Paso TX, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you choose not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your El Paso residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the best option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review 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 types of courses are available.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
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 El Paso Texas 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 Classes
Online esthetician programs are convenient for El Paso TX students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training necessary 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 field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Programs
Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your El Paso home, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn 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 even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you pick 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous El Paso TX businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with El Paso TX salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, consult the Texas 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? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you decide on 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a El Paso TX beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.
Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for other schools that provide this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with El Paso TX businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and learn 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 available to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial help may be offered.
Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in El Paso
Enroll in the Best El Paso Esthetician Program
Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied 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 examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in El Paso Texas.