How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Ouray CO

How to Find the Right Esthetics Training Program near Ouray Colorado

Ouray CO esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Ouray CO, the task begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might 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 pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a little bit further about that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Ouray home. Tuition will also be an important factor when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Ouray CO Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Ouray CO beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many 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 formerly stated, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees and Certificates

Ouray CO esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues available 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 usually require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily 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 available if you want to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Ouray CO business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you decide on, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Colorado Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetician Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Ouray CO Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Ouray CO students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Ouray CO models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Ouray home, as well as the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician school you choose 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 81427 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Ouray CO businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Ouray CO 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 may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Colorado school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to open a Ouray CO beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s important that she or he receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Ouray CO employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance 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 department. Speak with a counselor and learn 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 also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Ouray CO?

Perhaps you live in the Ouray 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.

Ouray, Colorado

Ouray (/ˈjʊəreɪ/) is a Home Rule Municipality that is the county seat and the most populous city of Ouray County, Colorado, United States.[9] The city population was 813 at the U.S. Census 2000 and 1,000 as of the U.S. Census 2010.[9][10] The Ouray Post Office has the ZIP code 81427. Ouray's climate, natural alpine environment, and scenery frequently has it referred to the "Switzerland of America".[11]

Originally established by miners chasing silver and gold in the surrounding mountains, the town at one time boasted more horses and mules than people. Prospectors arrived in the area in 1875. In 1877, William Weston and George Barber found the Gertrude and Una gold veins in Imogene Basin, six miles south southwest of Ouray. Thomas Walsh acquired the two veins and all the open ground nearby. In 1897 opened the Camp Bird Mine, adding a twenty-stamp mill in 1898, and a forty-stamp mill in 1899. The mine produced almost 200,000 ounces of gold by 1902, when Walsh sold out to Camp Bird, Ltd. By 1916, Camp Bird, Ltd., had produced over one million ounces of gold.[12]:51, 84–86,91

At the height of the mining, Ouray had more than 30 active mines. The town—after changing its name and that of the county it was in several times—was incorporated on October 2, 1876, named after Chief Ouray of the Utes, a Native American tribe. By 1877 Ouray had grown to over 1,000 in population and was named county seat of the newly formed Ouray County on March 8, 1877.

Choose the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Ouray CO

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process 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 address the additional questions supplied in this post, 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 examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Ouray CO.