How to Choose the Right Esthetician Course Near Shoreline Washington

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Shoreline WA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the school you pick not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Shoreline home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not necessarily the best option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of programs are available.

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Esthetics 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 Shoreline Washington 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 Programs

Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Shoreline WA students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Shoreline home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician school you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Shoreline WA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Shoreline WA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Washington school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often 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 goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to open a Shoreline WA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So search for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Shoreline WA businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be available.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Shoreline

Enroll in the Right Shoreline Esthetician Training

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information 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 excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions presented 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 examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Shoreline Washington.

 

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