How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Hellertown PA

How to Find the Right Esthetics College near Hellertown Pennsylvania

Hellertown PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Hellertown PA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It’s imperative that the program you select not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be somewhat confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a bit more regarding that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Hellertown home. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the best option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Hellertown PA Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Hellertown PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers 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 range of specialties including:

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

As formerly stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance 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 Certificates and Degrees

Hellertown PA esthetician client with face mask There are basically two options available to obtain 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 generally call for 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 all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you want to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Hellertown PA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you choose, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Hellertown PA Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Hellertown PA students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based 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 given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Programs

Hellertown PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Hellertown residence, together with the cost of tuition, will most likely 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 reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 18055 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Hellertown PA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Hellertown PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative 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 respected for that program. If your dream is to open a Hellertown 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 weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that she or he gets aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer help develop relationships with Hellertown PA businesses that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify 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 office. Speak with a counselor and identify 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you find out what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Hellertown PA?

Perhaps you live in the Hellertown 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.

Hellertown, Pennsylvania

Hellertown is a borough in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, United States. Hellertown is located in the Lehigh Valley region of the state, and geographically in the Lehigh Valley's Saucon Valley. The population of Hellertown was 5,898 at the 2010 census.

Pennsylvania Route 412 runs north-south through Hellertown on Main Street, heading north to Bethlehem and south into Bucks County, where it provides access to Pennsylvania Route 611. PA 412 has an interchange with Interstate 78 on the northern edge of Hellertown, which heads west to Allentown and Harrisburg and east to Easton and New York City.[4]

LANTA provides bus service to Hellertown along Route 215, which provides service Monday-Saturday north to Bethlehem and Lehigh Valley International Airport, and Route 105, which provides Sunday service north to Bethlehem and the Lehigh Valley Mall.[5]Bieber Transportation Group and Trans-Bridge Lines provide bus service from Hellertown to New York City from a park and ride lot located at the interchange between I-78 and PA 412.[6][7] Hellertown formerly had commuter rail service along SEPTA's Bethlehem Line north to Bethlehem and south to Philadelphia at Hellertown station, but service ended in 1981.

Select the Right Esthetics School near Hellertown PA

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Hellertown PA.