How to Pick the Best Esthetician College Near Harlingen Texas
Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Harlingen TX, the process begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Harlingen home. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best choice. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types 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 Harlingen 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 Esthetics Programs
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Harlingen TX students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 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 many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. However, it's essential that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
What to Ask Aesthetician Training Programs
Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Harlingen residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician college you enroll in 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often 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 final benefit, numerous Harlingen TX employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Harlingen TX salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the Texas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand 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 goal 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 vision is to open a Harlingen 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. So search for other schools that provide this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that she or he receives support in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Harlingen TX employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing 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 fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative before you learn what financial help may be provided.
Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Harlingen
Enroll in the Right Harlingen Esthetician Program
Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Harlingen Texas.
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