How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Sewickley PA

How to Pick an Esthetics School near Sewickley Pennsylvania

Sewickley PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Sewickley PA, the process begins to find and enroll in the right program. It’s essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather 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 little bit more concerning that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Sewickley residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the best option. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Sewickley PA Cosmetology is a profession 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. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really 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 undergo some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Sewickley PA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten 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 professional 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 formerly stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Sewickley PA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options offered to receive esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually 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 each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Sewickley PA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, it’s essential to make certain that it’s certified by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, such as 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 Sewickley PA Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Sewickley PA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are often fast paced given that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s important that the program you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools

Sewickley PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list 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 relative to your Sewickley home, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician college you choose 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available in 15143 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Sewickley PA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Sewickley PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, check with the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering 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 pick 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a Sewickley PA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques 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 site that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s essential that she or he receives assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Sewickley PA businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. 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 also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Sewickley PA?

Perhaps you live in the Sewickley 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.

Sewickley, Pennsylvania

Sewickley is a borough in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, 12 miles (19 km) west northwest of Pittsburgh along the Ohio River. It is a residential suburb of Pittsburgh. The population was 3,827 at the 2010 census. The Sewickley Bridge crosses the Ohio River at Sewickley.

Sewickley is thought by some to be a Native American word meaning "sweet water."[3] Historians[verification needed] dispute if Native Americans were referring to the Ohio River as the "sweet water" or instead to the syrup derived from a local abundance of maple trees.[4][citation needed]

Alternatively, historian Charles A. Hanna suggested "Sewickley" came from Creek words for "raccoon" (sawi) and "town" (ukli).[5] According to Hanna, the Asswikale branch of the Shawnee probably borrowed their name from the neighboring Sawokli Muscogee before the former's migration from present-day South Carolina to Pennsylvania. Contemporary accounts from noted anthropologist Frederick Webb Hodge[6] and the Sewickley Presbyterian Church,[7] as well as the current Sewickley Valley Historical Society[8] concur to varying degrees with Mr. Hanna's etymology.

Pick the Right Esthetics College near Sewickley PA

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Sewickley PA.