How to Select the Best Aesthetician Training Near Huntington West Virginia

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Huntington WV, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate 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 Huntington residence. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the right choice. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of programs are offered.

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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 Huntington West Virginia 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 accommodating for Huntington WV students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not spending numerous hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the training program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Programs

Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Huntington home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, 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 may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Huntington WV employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Huntington WV salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the West Virginia 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 Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick a school that specializes in 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 dream is to open a Huntington WV beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Check 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 growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Huntington WV employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option until you determine what financial assistance may be offered.

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Enroll in the Best Huntington Esthetician Training

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in Huntington West Virginia.

 

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