How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Oak Island NC

How to Find the Right Esthetician College near Oak Island North Carolina

Oak Island NC esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Oak Island NC, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the program you select not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more regarding that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Oak Island residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when assessing possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not always the ideal choice. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Oak Island NC Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Oak Island NC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers 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 variety of specialties including:

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

As formerly stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Oak Island NC esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues offered to receive 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 generally 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 all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to focus on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Oak Island NC business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you decide on, it’s essential to make sure that it’s recognized by the North Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next segment.

Online Esthetics Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Oak Island NC Online esthetician classes are convenient for Oak Island NC students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

Oak Island NC models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Oak Island residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 28465 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 Oak Island NC businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Oak Island NC salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, contact the North Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal 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 launch a Oak Island NC beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s essential that he or she gets assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Oak Island NC employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option until you determine what financial help may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Oak Island NC?

Perhaps you live in the Oak Island 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.

Oak Island, North Carolina

Oak Island is a seaside town located mostly on the barrier island of Oak Island (which also contains the town of Caswell Beach), in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The town extends onto the mainland north of the island's bridge. The population was 6,783 at the 2010 census.[5] It was founded in 1999 by the consolidation of the towns of Long Beach and Yaupon Beach. Its main industry is tourism; the town has an average summer population of 30-50,000.

The island has been inhabited since the early 19th century; Fort Caswell was built on its eastern end in 1838. The remainder of the island was developed beginning in the late 1930s, attracting people from nearby Southport. Fox hunting was popular in the northern area near the Intracoastal Waterway. The island was nearly wiped out by Hurricane Hazel in 1954; only five buildings were left standing on Long Beach in the hurricane's wake.[7] The island quickly recovered, and the towns of Long Beach and Yaupon Beach were incorporated in 1955. Other hurricanes, such as Diana in 1984, Bertha and Fran in 1996 and Floyd in 1999, have caused damage to the island, though not nearly as catastrophic as that of Hazel.[citation needed]

Construction began on a $64 million 980-foot (300 m) bridge project in November 2007, with a December 2009 completion date. Two lanes of traffic opened in November 2010, and a formal dedication took place January 27, 2011. Four lanes of traffic began using the bridge that same month.[8] The new bridge will likely result in increased development of the town.[9]

Enroll in the Right Esthetics Vocational School near Oak Island NC

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to organize 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 sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Oak Island NC.