How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Lake Oswego OR

How to Select an Esthetics School near Lake Oswego Oregon

Lake Oswego OR esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lake Oswego OR, the process begins to locate and enroll in the right program. It’s important that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further about that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lake Oswego residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when assessing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not always the best choice. There are various other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Lake Oswego OR Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Lake Oswego OR beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and work in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As already mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Lake Oswego OR esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues available 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 usually 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 trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to specialize in 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 run a parlor or other Lake Oswego OR business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you choose, it’s important to make certain that it’s certified by the Oregon Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the next segment.

Online Esthetician Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Lake Oswego OR Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Lake Oswego OR students who are employed full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend 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 traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 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’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required 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 profession. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs

Lake Oswego OR models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lake Oswego residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician training program 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 97034 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Lake Oswego OR employers will not employ 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 institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Lake Oswego OR salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, consult the Oregon school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular 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 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 well regarded for that program. If your vision is to start a Lake Oswego OR beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing 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? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s imperative that he or she receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with Lake Oswego OR businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Lake Oswego OR?

Perhaps you live in the Lake Oswego Oregon 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 Oswego, Oregon

Lake Oswego /ɒsˈwiːɡoʊ/ is a city in the State of Oregon, primarily in Clackamas County with small portions extending into neighboring Multnomah and Washington counties.[4] Located about 8 miles (13 km) south of Portland and surrounding the 405-acre (1.64 km2) Oswego Lake, the town was founded in 1847 and incorporated as Oswego in 1910. The city was the hub of Oregon's brief iron industry in the late 19th century and is today an affluent suburb of Portland. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 36,619,[5] a 3.8% increase over the 2000 population of 35,278.

The Clackamas Indians once occupied the land that later became Lake Oswego,[6] but diseases transmitted by European explorers and traders killed most of the natives. Before the influx of non-native people via the Oregon Trail, the area between the Willamette River and Tualatin River had a scattering of early pioneer homesteads and farms.

During this early period in Oregon history, most trade proceeded from Portland to Oregon City via the Willamette River, and up the Tualatin River Valley through Tualatin, Scholls, and Hillsboro. The thick woods and rain-muddied roads were major obstacles to traveling by land. Along the rivers of this area can still be seen the vestiges of river landings, ferry stops, and covered bridges of this period. A landing in the city's present-day George Rogers Park is thought to have been developed by Durham around 1850 for lumber transport; another landing was near the Tryon Creek outlet into the Willamette.

Enroll in the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Lake Oswego OR

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information 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 beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Lake Oswego OR.