How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Charleston AR

How to Pick an Esthetician College near Charleston Arkansas

Charleston AR esthetician client with cucumber facialOnce you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Charleston AR, the process begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit more concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Charleston residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the best choice. 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 regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Charleston ARCosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Charleston AR beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and work in a wide variety of specialties including:

  • Estheticians
  • Hairdressers
  • Hairstylists
  • Beauticians
  • Barbers
  • Manicurists
  • Nail Technicians
  • Makeup Artists
  • Hair Coloring Specialists
  • Electrolysis Technicians

As already mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Charleston AR esthetician client with face maskThere are basically two options offered to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Charleston AR business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you opt for, it’s important to make sure that it’s recognized by the Arkansas Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the next section.

Online Esthetician Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Charleston AROnline esthetician schools are convenient for Charleston AR students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s important that the training program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet 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.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools

Charleston AR models benefit from esthetic treatmentsBelow is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Charleston home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important 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 organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 72933 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Charleston AR employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting 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 Charleston AR salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Arkansas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a Charleston AR beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves 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 allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s important that she or he receives assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Charleston AR employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Charleston AR?

Perhaps you live in the Charleston Arkansas area, or have found a school that you will commute to or even relocate to attend.  Either way, following is some interesting background information about the location of your new esthetician program.

Charleston, Arkansas

Charleston is a city in Franklin County, Arkansas, United States, and (along with Ozark) one of the two county seats of Franklin County.[3] It is part of the Fort Smith, Arkansas-Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 2,522 at the 2010 census,[4] down from 2,965 in 2000.

In 1954, Charleston was the first school district in the former Confederate States to implement school integration in response to Brown v. Board of Education. On July 27, 1954, the school board, including President Howard Madison Orsburn, George Hairston, Archibald Schaffer, Herbert Shumate, and Homer Keith, unanimously voted to "disband the Colored School and admit the Colored children into the grade and high school when classes open for the fall semester." Accordingly, when the schools opened on August 23, 11 black children were in attendance alongside 480 whites.[6] School Superintendent Woodie Haynes made an agreement with the local press not to cover the event, and stonewalled any outside reporters that asked questions.[7] The decision to integrate had financial benefits, as the district had been paying a considerable sum to transport black high school students to Fort Smith, and were able to close the old Rosenwald school. Charleston suffered some discrimination from other schools and the state; many schools refused to play football against them and the band was denied the opportunity to play in some band competitions. In 1961, the first two black students to graduate from Charleston were Barbara (Williams) Dotson and Joe Ferguson.[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, Charleston has a total area of 4.4 square miles (11.4 km2), of which 4.3 square miles (11.1 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.3 km2), or 2.53%, is water.[4]

Select the Right Esthetician College near Charleston AR

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start 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. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Charleston AR.

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