How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Ellwood City PA

How to Enroll In an Esthetics College near Ellwood City Pennsylvania

Ellwood City PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Ellwood City PA, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the difference 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 speak a bit more about that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Ellwood City home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the right option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding 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.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Ellwood City PA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Ellwood City PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known 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 earlier mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Ellwood City PA esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues available to receive esthetician training and a credential upon 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 finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily 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 offered if you want to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Ellwood City PA business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s approved by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Ellwood City PA Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Ellwood City PA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Schools

Ellwood City PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Ellwood City residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician college you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 16117 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Ellwood City PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Ellwood City PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, 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 find out if there have been any complaints 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, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you select 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 vision is to launch a Ellwood City PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s imperative that she or he receives help in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Ellwood City PA employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Most 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 learn what student loans or grants you might get approved 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 meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Ellwood City PA?

Perhaps you live in the Ellwood City 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.

Ellwood City, Pennsylvania

Ellwood City is a borough primarily in Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, United States, with a small portion in Beaver County. Ellwood City is 30 miles (48 km) northwest of Pittsburgh and some 8 miles (13 km) southeast of New Castle. In the past, Ellwood City sustained many heavy industries such as steel-tube mills, steel-car works, building-stone and limestone quarries, foundries and machine shops, and coal-mining. The population was 7,921 at the 2010 census.[6] Of the population, 7,289 lived in Lawrence County, while 632 lived in Beaver County.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the borough has a total area of 2.4 square miles (6.2 km2), of which 2.3 square miles (6.0 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2), or 2.09%, is water.

As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 8,688 people, 3,716 households, and 2,393 families residing in the borough. The population density was 3,716.6 people per square mile (1,433.5/km2). There were 4,006 housing units at an average density of 1,713.7 per square mile (661.0/km2). The racial makeup of the borough was 98.22% White, 0.81% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.23% Asian, 0.18% from other races, and 0.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.60% of the population.

Choose the Right Esthetics School near Ellwood City PA

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Ellwood City PA.