How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Ashland PA

How to Enroll In an Esthetician Program near Ashland Pennsylvania

Ashland PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Ashland PA, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit more regarding that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Ashland home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the best choice. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Ashland PA Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really 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, the majority of states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Ashland PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional 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 previously mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Ashland PA esthetician client with face mask There are basically two options available to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily 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 prefer to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Ashland PA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you opt for, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Ashland PA Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Ashland PA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced since many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary 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 available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Courses

Ashland PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Ashland home, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly 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 initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 17921 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 Ashland PA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Ashland PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted 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, 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 frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you choose a school that focuses on 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 well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Ashland PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. 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 campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for developing your skills. So look for 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 essential that he or she receives assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Ashland PA businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Ashland PA?

Perhaps you live in the Ashland Pennsylvania 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.

Ashland, Pennsylvania

Ashland is a borough in Schuylkill County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, 15 miles (24 km) northwest of Pottsville. A small part of the borough also lies in Columbia County, although all of the population resided in the Schuylkill County portion as of the 2010 census. The borough lies in the anthracite coal region of eastern Pennsylvania. Settled in 1850, Ashland was incorporated in 1857, and was named for Henry Clay's estate near Lexington, Kentucky. The population in 1900 was 6,438, and in 1940, 7,045, but had dropped to 2,817 at the 2010 census.[3]

For a long time after southern Pennsylvania was settled, the area that is now Ashland was mostly wilderness except for a hotel in the area in 1820. A prominent citizen of the county, Burd S. Patterson, however, predicted that the area would eventually become a prominent mining town. In 1845, John P. Brock and James Hart joined Patterson in buying 800 acres (320 ha) of land in the Ashland area. In 1846, a group of miners led by Patrick Devine developed coal seams in veins in the area. However, the town progressed little over the next three years. By 1857, though, the town had 3,500 people, and Ashland became a borough, detaching itself from Butler Township. The first post office was built in 1853, and the first church was built in 1855.[6]

The Mothers' Memorial is located at the junction of Pennsylvania Route 54 and Pennsylvania Route 61. The Mothers' Memorial is a bronze reproduction of the famous James Abbott McNeill Whistler artistic painting: An Arrangement in Grey and Black No. 1, commonly known as "Whistler's Mother". The WPA-Built Mothers' Memorial honors all mothers of the United States and it's the only one of its kind in the world.[7] The Mothers' Memorial was commissioned and erected during the misery of the Great Depression in the United States by the Ashland Boys' Association and it was dedicated on Sunday, September 4, 1938, during Labor Day weekend. President Franklin D. Roosevelt economic recovery plan of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) completed the historical stone masonry work.[8]

Enroll in the Right Esthetician School near Ashland PA

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Ashland PA.