How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Lamar CO

How to Find the Right Esthetician School near Lamar Colorado

Lamar CO esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lamar CO, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further about that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lamar residence. Tuition will also be a critical factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the best choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Lamar CO Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you take some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Lamar CO beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names and are employed in a wide range of specialties 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 have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Lamar CO esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues available to get esthetician training and a credential after 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 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. Shorter programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Lamar CO business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you opt for, it’s essential to make sure that it’s recognized by the Colorado Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Lamar CO Online esthetician classes are convenient for Lamar CO students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools

Lamar CO models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lamar residence, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your first 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 must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you pick 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 meet their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 81052 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Lamar CO businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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 sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Lamar CO salon owners or managers, or anyone 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 looked into. And finally, contact the Colorado school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete 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, offering 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 important that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Lamar CO beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands 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 allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s crucial that she or he gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Lamar CO employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools provide 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 may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Lamar CO?

Perhaps you live in the Lamar Colorado 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.

Lamar, Colorado

Lamar is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Prowers County, Colorado, United States.[8] The city population was 7,804 at the 2010 United States Census. The city was named after Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar II[9] during the period that he was Secretary of the Interior in the futile hope that the then town would be named as the land office.

Lamar is located at 38°5′10″N 102°37′10″W / 38.08611°N 102.61944°W / 38.08611; -102.61944. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 4.2 square miles (11 km2), all land. Lamar is east of Pueblo, on the Arkansas River in southeastern Colorado.

Lamar is antipodal, or globally opposite, to Ile Amsterdam, an island in the southern Indian Ocean, making Lamar one of only three locations in the United States that is opposite another landmass on earth.

Find the Right Esthetician College near Lamar CO

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be 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 receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Lamar CO.