How to Enroll In the Right Aesthetician College Near San Antonio Texas

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near San Antonio TX, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your San Antonio home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not necessarily the best option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds 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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in San Antonio Texas spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.

Online Esthetician Training

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for San Antonio TX students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs

Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your San Antonio residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of San Antonio TX businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with San Antonio TX salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, check with the Texas school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full 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, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 desire is to open a San Antonio TX beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that he or she receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with San Antonio TX employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to 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 offered to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative before you determine what financial assistance may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in San Antonio

Enroll in the Right San Antonio Esthetician Training

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, 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 examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in San Antonio Texas.

 

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