How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Bethlehem PA

How to Select an Esthetics School near Bethlehem Pennsylvania

Bethlehem PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Bethlehem PA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the school you pick not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit more concerning that in the next segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Bethlehem home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the right choice. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering 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 Bethlehem PA Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of 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 anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you undergo some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Bethlehem PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired 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 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 already stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Bethlehem PA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two pathways offered to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally call for 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Bethlehem PA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the following segment.

Online Esthetics Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Bethlehem PA Online esthetician schools are convenient for Bethlehem PA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Classes

Bethlehem PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Bethlehem home, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you choose 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 guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 18015 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 Bethlehem PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Bethlehem PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in a school that specializes in 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 aspiration is to open a Bethlehem PA beauty salon, then you need 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 deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So try to find alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s important that he or she gets support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Bethlehem PA businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out 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 belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Bethlehem PA?

Perhaps you live in the Bethlehem 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.

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Bethlehem is a city in Lehigh and Northampton counties in the Lehigh Valley region of the eastern portion of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 74,982, making it the seventh largest city in Pennsylvania, after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Allentown, Erie, Reading, and Scranton.[4] Of this, 55,639 were in Northampton County, and 19,343 were in Lehigh County.

Bethlehem lies in the center of the Lehigh Valley, a region of 731 sq mi (1,890 km2) that is home to more than 800,000 people. Together with Allentown and Easton, the Valley embraces the Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, PA-NJ metropolitan area, including Lehigh, Northampton, and Carbon counties within Pennsylvania, and Warren County in the adjacent state of New Jersey. Smaller than Allentown but larger than Easton, Bethlehem is the Lehigh Valley's second most populous city. In turn, this metropolitan area comprises Pennsylvania's third-largest metropolitan area and the state's largest and most populous contribution to the greater New York City metropolitan area.

There are four general sections of the city: central Bethlehem, the south side, the east side, and the west side. Each of these sections blossomed at different times in the city's development and each contains areas recognized under the National Register of Historic Places. ZIP codes that use the address Bethlehem totaled 116,000 in population in the year 2000. These ZIP codes include Bethlehem Township and Hanover Township.

Choose the Right Esthetics Vocational School near Bethlehem PA

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Bethlehem PA.