How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Lake City MN

How to Find the Right Esthetician College near Lake City Minnesota

Lake City MN esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lake City MN, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It’s essential that the school you select not only provides the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat confused 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 type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further concerning that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lake City home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Lake City MN Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you go through some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Lake City MN beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and work in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As formerly mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Lake City MN esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues offered to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually take 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 major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Lake City MN business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you choose, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Minnesota Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.

Online Esthetician Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Lake City MN Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Lake City MN students who are working full time and have family responsibilities 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 attended via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in area 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 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 Training Courses

Lake City MN models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lake City residence, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain 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 superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 55041 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Lake City MN businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician college 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 references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Lake City MN salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, 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. Finally, contact the Minnesota school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you enroll in 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 desire is to start a Lake City MN beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. 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 most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s crucial that he or she gets aid in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Lake City MN employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Lake City MN?

Perhaps you live in the Lake City Minnesota 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.

Lake City, Minnesota

Lake City is a city in Goodhue and Wabasha counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It lies along Lake Pepin, a wide portion of the Mississippi River. The population was 5,063 at the 2010 census.[6] Most of Lake City is located within Wabasha County with only a small portion in Goodhue County.

The city of Lake City is located 65 miles (105 km) southeast of the Twin Cities at the intersection of U.S. Highways 61 and 63 on the Mississippi River at Lake Pepin. Lac de Pleurs (Lake of Tears) was the name given to Lake Pepin by Father Louis Hennepin, who camped on the shore of the lake in 1680. He christened the large body of water Lac de Pleurs after observing his Sioux captors weeping near the lake over the death of a chief's son. The war party of Isanti Sioux had captured Hennepin and his two companions several miles south along the Mississippi and were camping near the lake on their return north to their Sioux villages near present-day Mille Lacs.

The first known settler was Jacob Boody, who arrived in 1853. In the years to follow, several explorers passed through this area. The town was platted in 1855. The town supervisors were given special powers by the State Legislature in 1864 to create a port market for grain. At Lake City the waters of Lake Pepin were deep enough to allow for such a port. Soon the town became noted as a profitable market with the volume of trade for the year 1866 bringing in a little over a million and a half dollars.

Find the Right Esthetics College near Lake City MN

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive 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 college and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Lake City MN.