How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Lewistown PA

How to Find the Right Esthetician School near Lewistown Pennsylvania

Lewistown PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Lewistown PA, the task starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further regarding that in the next section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Lewistown home. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in 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 Lewistown PA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all 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 Lewistown PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing 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 work in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As earlier stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance 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.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Lewistown PA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options offered to obtain 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 typically require 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 instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Lewistown PA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following segment.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Lewistown PA Online esthetician programs are convenient for Lewistown PA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced given that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Degree Programs

Lewistown PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Lewistown home, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 17044 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Lewistown PA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Lewistown PA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to launch a Lewistown PA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s important that he or she receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Lewistown PA employers that are searching for skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? The majority of 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. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Lewistown PA?

Perhaps you live in the Lewistown 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.

Lewistown, Pennsylvania

Lewistown is a borough in the county seat of Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, United States.[3] It is the principal city of the Lewistown, PA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Mifflin County.[4] It lies along the Juniata River, 61 miles (98 km) northwest of Harrisburg. The number of people living in the borough in 1900 was 4,451; in 1910, 8,166; in 1940, 13,017; and in 2000, 8,998. The population was 8,338 at the 2010 census. Of the four communities in the United States named "Lewistown", this borough is the largest.

The borough was incorporated in 1795 and was named for William "Bill" Lewis, a Quaker and a member of the legislature, who was responsible for the designation of the borough, which was then known as the Village of Ohesson, as the county seat of Mifflin County.

Early roads crisscrossed the region, but it was the eventual construction of the Pennsylvania Canal and the railroads that followed that truly positioned Mifflin County as an economic force in the state.

Select the Right Esthetician Program near Lewistown PA

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Lewistown PA.