How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Livermore CA

How to Select an Esthetics School near Livermore California

Livermore CA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Livermore CA, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It’s important that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary education 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 puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further regarding that in the following segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Livermore residence. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Livermore CA Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you go through some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Livermore CA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As previously mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Livermore CA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues available to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Livermore CA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you choose, it’s important to make certain that it’s certified by the California Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next segment.

Online Esthetics Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Livermore CA Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Livermore CA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses 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 dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs

Livermore CA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Livermore home, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician training program you pick 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 meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 94550 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Livermore CA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm 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 contacts with Livermore CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, contact the California school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total 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, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your desire is to start a Livermore CA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. 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 mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s imperative that he or she receives help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Livermore CA businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, 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 Assistance Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 offered to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative until you learn what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Livermore CA?

Perhaps you live in the Livermore California 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.

Livermore, California

Livermore (formerly Livermores, Livermore Ranch, and Nottingham)[10] is a city in Alameda County, California, in the United States. With an estimated 2017 population of 89,648,[8] Livermore is the most populous city in the Tri-Valley. Livermore is located on the eastern edge of California's San Francisco Bay Area. The incumbent Mayor of Livermore is John Marchand.

Livermore was founded by William Mendenhall and named for Robert Livermore, his friend and a local rancher who settled in the area in the 1840s. Livermore is the home of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, for which the chemical element livermorium is named (and thus, placing the city's name in the periodic table).[11] Livermore is also the California site of Sandia National Laboratories, which is headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Its south side is home to local vineyards. The city has redeveloped its downtown district and is considered part of the Tri-Valley area, comprising Amador, Livermore and San Ramon valleys.

Before its incorporation in 1796 under the Franciscan Mission San Jose, located in what is now the southern part of Fremont, the Livermore area was home to some of the Ohlone (or Costanoan) native people. Each mission had two to three friars and a contingent of up to five soldiers to help keep order in the mission and to help control the natives. Like most indigenous people in California, the natives in the vicinity of Mission San Jose were mostly coerced into joining it, where they were taught Spanish, the Catholic religion, singing, construction, agricultural trades and herding—the Native Californian people originally had no agriculture and no domestic animals except dogs. Other tribes were coerced into other adjacent missions. The Mission Indians were restricted to the mission grounds where they lived in sexually segregated "barracks" that they built themselves with padre instruction. The population of all California missions plunged steeply as new diseases ravaged the Mission Indian populations—they had almost no immunity to these "new to them" diseases, and death rates over 50% were not uncommon.[13]

Enroll in the Right Esthetics Vocational School near Livermore CA

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Livermore CA.