How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Bangor PA

How to Find the Right Esthetics Training Program near Bangor Pennsylvania

Bangor PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Bangor PA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the school you select not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit more regarding that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Bangor residence. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the best option. There are many other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Bangor PA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Bangor PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses 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 servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and work in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As already stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Bangor PA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options offered to get 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 usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main 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 incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Bangor PA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetics Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Bangor PA Online esthetician programs are convenient for Bangor PA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s essential that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Bangor PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Bangor home, 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 undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician school you pick 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 18013 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Bangor PA employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. 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, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Bangor PA 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 recommend others that you had not considered. And last, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a Bangor 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 regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that she or he gets assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Bangor PA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 offered to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you find out what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Bangor PA?

Perhaps you live in the Bangor 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.

Bangor, Pennsylvania

Bangor is a borough located in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, 32 miles (51 km) north of Allentown, in the Lehigh Valley region of Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of Pennsylvania's Slate Belt. It had a population of 5,273 according to the 2010 census.

The borough was settled about 1760 and first incorporated in 1875. The founder and first Chief Burgess of Bangor was Robert M. Jones, an emigrant from Bangor, Wales. He was the prime mover in the establishment of the slate industry in Northampton County. Slate quarries pepper the area, but only a few are still functioning. A life-sized statue of him, dedicated on September 24, 1914, remains in the town center.[4]

Indeed, if one visits Bangor, Wales it is clearly visible that the Welsh heritage made its way to Bangor, Pennsylvania, whose stone walls, rectangular gardens, and lovely flowers and greenery mirror those of its Welsh namesake. Around Bangor one can also see piles of slate residue and shale reminiscent of the area around Bethesda, Wales.[5]

Enroll in the Right Esthetician Training Program near Bangor PA

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Bangor PA.