How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Chapel Hill NC

How to Select an Esthetician Course near Chapel Hill North Carolina

Chapel Hill NC esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Chapel Hill NC, the process begins to find and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the program you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further regarding that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Chapel Hill home. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Chapel Hill NC Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Chapel Hill NC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As already stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Chapel Hill NC esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two pathways offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally 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 main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Chapel Hill NC business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you choose, it’s essential to make certain that it’s recognized by the North Carolina Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Esthetics Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Chapel Hill NC Online esthetician programs are convenient for Chapel Hill NC students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced since many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s essential that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Schools

Chapel Hill NC models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Chapel Hill residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced 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 school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 27514 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Chapel Hill NC businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Chapel Hill NC salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the North Carolina 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 Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective 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 Chapel Hill NC beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s important that he or she gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Chapel Hill NC 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. Also, 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 regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 offered to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Chapel Hill NC?

Perhaps you live in the Chapel Hill North Carolina 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.

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Chapel Hill is a town in Orange and Durham counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Its population was 57,233 in the 2010 census, making Chapel Hill the 15th-largest city in the state. Chapel Hill, Durham, and the state capital, Raleigh, make up the corners of the Research Triangle (officially the Raleigh–Durham–Chapel Hill combined statistical area), with a total population of 1,998,808.[4]

The town was founded in 1793 and is centered on Franklin Street, covering 21.3 square miles (55 km2). It contains several districts and buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care are a major part of the economy and town influence. Local artists have created many murals.

The area was the home place of early settler William Barbee of Middlesex County, Virginia, whose 1753 grant of 585 acres from John Carteret, 2nd Earl Granville was the first of two land grants in what is now the Chapel Hill-Durham area. Though William Barbee died shortly after settling there, one of his eight children, Christopher Barbee, became an important contributor to his father's adopted community and to the fledgling University of North Carolina.

Select the Right Esthetician School near Chapel Hill NC

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, 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 right selection. And when 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 Chapel Hill NC.