How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Lansford PA

How to Pick an Esthetician Training Program near Lansford Pennsylvania

Lansford PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lansford PA, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the program you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit more about that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lansford residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Lansford PA Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the use 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 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 you are licensed, the work settings include not only Lansford PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles 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 mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Lansford PA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two pathways offered to get 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 usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Lansford PA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you decide on, it’s essential to make certain that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected 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 Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Lansford PA Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Lansford PA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Schools

Lansford PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lansford residence, together with the expense of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 18232 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Lansford PA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Lansford PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult 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? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention 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 Lansford PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that he or she gets support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Lansford PA employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn 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 accessible to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Lansford PA?

Perhaps you live in the Lansford 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.

Lansford, Pennsylvania

Lansford is a county-border borough (town) in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States, located 37 miles (60 km) northwest of Allentown and 19 miles south of Hazleton in the Panther Creek Valley about 72 miles (116 km) from Greater Philadelphia[a] and abutting the cross-county sister-city of Coaldale in Schuylkill County. The whole valley was owned and subdivided into separate lots by the historically important Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company (locally called "the Old Company") which likely settled some structures on the lands by 1827.[b]

Lansford grew with the development of local anthracite coal mines, and was named after Asa Lansford Foster, who was an advocate for merging the small "patch towns" that developed in the area surrounding the anthracite coal mines. The population was 3,941 at the 2010 Census, a steep decline from a high of 9,632 at the 1930 census common to many mining towns in northeastern Pennsylvania.[4]

The old No. 9 Mine and Museum in Lansford, a deep mine which operated from 1855 to 1972, is now open as a tourist attraction offering tours of the mine and a wealth of information on local mining history. A museum occupying the mine's former Wash Shanty building on the site displays a large collection of mining artifacts.

Enroll in the Right Esthetics Program near Lansford PA

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, 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 exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Lansford PA.