How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools San Pedro CA

How to Select an Esthetics Training Program near San Pedro California

San Pedro CA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near San Pedro CA, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the school you select not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit further regarding that in the following segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your San Pedro home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners San Pedro CA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance 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 be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only San Pedro CA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:

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

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

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

San Pedro CA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues available to get 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 generally take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other San Pedro CA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the California Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following segment.

Online Esthetics Training

woman attending esthetician school online in San Pedro CA Online esthetician schools are convenient for San Pedro CA students who are employed full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the training program you select can provide internship training in area 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 difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Trade Schools

San Pedro CA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your San Pedro home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your first 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 preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 90731 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of San Pedro CA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably 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 outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with San Pedro CA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, consult the California 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? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention 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 start a San Pedro CA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s imperative that she or he gets assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with San Pedro CA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive 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 reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out 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 too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near San Pedro CA?

Perhaps you live in the San Pedro 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.

San Pedro, Los Angeles

San Pedro /sænˈpiːdroʊ/ is a community within the city of Los Angeles, California. Formerly a separate city, it consolidated with Los Angeles in 1909. The Port of Los Angeles, a major international seaport, is partially located within San Pedro. The district has grown from being dominated by the fishing industry to become primarily a working class community within the city of Los Angeles.

The site, at the southern end of the Palos Verdes Peninsula, on the west side of San Pedro Bay, was used by Spanish ships starting in the 1540s. The peninsula, including all of San Pedro, was the homeland of the Tongva-Gabrieleño Native American people for thousands of years. In other areas of the Los Angeles Basin archeological sites date back 8,000–15,000 years. The Tongva believe they have been here since the beginning of time. Once called the "lords of the ocean", due to their mastery of oceangoing canoes (Ti'ats), many Tongva villages covered the coastline. Their first contact with Europeans in 1542 with Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo, the Portuguese explorer who also was the first to write of them. Chowigna and Suangna were two Tongva settlements of many in the peninsula area, which was also a departure point for their rancherias on the Channel Islands. Legend has it that the Native Americans blessed the land of Palos Verdes, making it the most beautiful place on Earth. The Tongva called the San Pedro area "Chaaw".[5]

San Pedro was named for St. Peter of Alexandria, a fourth-century bishop in Alexandria, Egypt. His feast day is November 24 on the local ecclesiastical calendar of Spain, the day on which Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo discovered the bay in 1542 which would be known as San Pedro. Santa Catalina Island, named after Catherine of Alexandria, was claimed for the Spanish Empire the next day, on her feast day, November 25. In 1602–1603, Sebastián Vizcaíno (1548–1624) officially surveyed and mapped the California coastline, including San Pedro Bay, for New Spain. The anglicized pronunciation, popularized by the English-speaking people of Midwestern America, is "san-PEE-dro".[6]

Enroll in the Right Esthetician Program near San Pedro CA

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician program is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in San Pedro CA.