How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Lemont Furnace PA

How to Select an Esthetics Course near Lemont Furnace Pennsylvania

Lemont Furnace PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lemont Furnace PA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll talk a bit more concerning that in the upcoming segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Lemont Furnace residence. Tuition will also be a critical factor when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the right option. There are several other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later in 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 Lemont Furnace PA Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you go through some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Lemont Furnace PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have 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 previously mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Lemont Furnace PA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options available to obtain esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Lemont Furnace PA business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s important to make sure that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Lemont Furnace PA Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Lemont Furnace PA students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced given 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 internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Courses

Lemont Furnace PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Lemont Furnace home, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 15456 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 Lemont Furnace PA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials 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 regarded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Lemont Furnace PA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, consult the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you decide on a school that focuses on 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 desire is to launch a Lemont Furnace 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 ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So search for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s imperative that she or he receives aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with Lemont Furnace PA businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher 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 provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and find out 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 accessible to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Lemont Furnace PA?

Perhaps you live in the Lemont Furnace 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.

Penn State Fayette

Penn State Fayette, The Eberly Campus is a Commonwealth Campus of the Pennsylvania State University. It is located in Lemont Furnace, Pennsylvania, between the larger cities of Uniontown and Connellsville. The campus serves students from the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania covering a five-county area that includes all or parts of Fayette, Greene, Somerset, Washington, and Westmoreland counties. The campus also enrolls students from other states and maintains a small international student population. Students at Penn State Fayette can complete the first two years of most of majors available in the Penn State system along with the entirety of six bachelor's degrees and eight associate degree programs.

Penn State founded an education center in the area in 1934, as part of an initiative to provide localized learning facilities that could grant associate degrees or allow students to complete the first two years of a bachelor's degree without the expense of living in University Park. However, the center was closed in the 1940s due to World War II. In the 1950s, the commonwealth campus system was established and local branch campuses, each fully integrated into the Penn State system, were established across the state. Fayette Campus opened in 1965. It was first housed in rented space in downtown Uniontown before relocating to its current site three years later.

Students at Penn State Fayette can complete the first two years of nearly all 160+ majors offered throughout the Penn State system. In addition, students can complete the following degrees in their entirety at the Penn State Fayette campus:[citation needed]

Enroll in the Right Esthetics School near Lemont Furnace PA

Finding 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 need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Lemont Furnace PA.