How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Brighton MA

How to Choose an Esthetics School near Brighton Massachusetts

Brighton MA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Brighton MA, the task begins to find and enroll in the right program. It’s important that the school you pick not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the difference 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 talk a little bit further concerning that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Brighton residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as 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 talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Brighton MA Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many 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 almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you go through some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Brighton MA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by 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 the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Brighton MA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually 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 instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Brighton MA 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 training program you choose, it’s essential to make certain that it’s recognized by the Massachusetts Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Esthetics Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Brighton MA Online esthetician classes are convenient for Brighton MA students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

Brighton MA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Brighton residence, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you want 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 must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the esthetician college 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 meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 02135 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Brighton MA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Brighton MA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, check with the Massachusetts school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your ambition 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 launch a Brighton MA beauty salon, then you need 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 provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s crucial that she or he receives support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Brighton MA businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, 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 regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial help may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Brighton MA?

Perhaps you live in the Brighton Massachusetts 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.

Brighton, Boston

Brighton is a dissolved municipality and current neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, United States,[1] and is located in the northwestern corner of the city. It is named after the town of Brighton in the English city of Brighton and Hove. For its first 160 years, Brighton was part of Cambridge, and was known as "Little Cambridge." Throughout much of its early history, it was a rural town with a significant commercial center at its eastern end. Brighton separated from Cambridge in 1807 after a bridge dispute, and was annexed to Boston in 1874.[2] The neighborhood of Allston was also formerly part of the town of Brighton, but is now often considered separately, leading to the moniker Allston–Brighton for the combined area. This historic center of Brighton is the Brighton Center Historic District.

In 1630, land comprising present-day Allston–Brighton and Newton was assigned to Watertown.[3] In 1634, the Massachusetts Bay Colony transferred ownership of the south side of the Charles River, including present-day Allston–Brighton and Newton, from Watertown to Newetowne,[3] later renamed Cambridge. In 1646, Reverend John Eliot established a "Praying Indian" village on the present Newton–Brighton boundary, where resided local natives converted to Christianity. The first permanent English settlement came as settlers crossed the Charles River from Cambridge, establishing Little Cambridge, the area's name before 1807.

Before the American Revolutionary War, Little Cambridge became a small, prosperous farming community with fewer than 300 residents. Its inhabitants included wealthy Boston merchants such as Benjamin Faneuil (after whom a street in Brighton is named). A key event in the history of Allston–Brighton was the establishment in 1775 of a cattle market to supply the Continental Army. Jonathan Winship I and Jonathan Winship II established the market, and in the post-war period that followed, the Winships became the largest meat packers in Massachusetts. The residents of Little Cambridge resolved to secede from Cambridge when the latter's government made decisions detrimental to the cattle industry and also failed to repair the Great Bridge linking Little Cambridge with Cambridge proper. Legislative approval for separation was obtained in 1807, and Little Cambridge renamed itself Brighton.

Enroll in the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Brighton MA

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Brighton MA.