How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Stewartstown PA

How to Pick an Esthetics College near Stewartstown Pennsylvania

Stewartstown PA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Stewartstown PA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further about that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Stewartstown home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding 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 offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Stewartstown PA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Stewartstown 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, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have 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 earlier stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain 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, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Stewartstown PA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues available to get 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 typically take 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 major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Stewartstown PA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s recognized by the Pennsylvania Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetician Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Stewartstown PA Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Stewartstown PA students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as short 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 are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. 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

Stewartstown PA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Stewartstown home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn 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 need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not available in 17363 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Stewartstown 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 an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Stewartstown PA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Pennsylvania school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted 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 facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden 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 ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to start a Stewartstown 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 ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s important that she or he gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Stewartstown PA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify 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 available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Stewartstown PA?

Perhaps you live in the Stewartstown 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.

Stewartstown, Pennsylvania

There were settlers in the Stewartstown area as early as 1750. This part of southern York County was claimed by both Maryland and Pennsylvania, and the boundary dispute was settled by the surveying of the Mason–Dixon Line in 1767.

By 1777, a road had been well established between York and Baltimore, and Stewartstown's main street of today lies along a portion of the road. Around 1812, a group of farmers set out to establish a town in south central Hopewell Township. The earliest buildings were several houses, a workshop for making furniture and wheels, a store, and a tavern. Anthony Stewart, owner of the workshop, served as the village clerk, and his shop became the main meeting place.

The village was first known as Meadstown, after Benedict Meads, owner of the tavern and the store. Later it became known as Mechanicsburg because of a large amount of tradesmen who lived in the community. By 1828, the town had its own post office, and Stewart was appointed the first postmaster. There was already another Pennsylvania town named Mechanicsburg, so postal officials assigned the name "Guilford" to the community. Through the efforts of Anthony Stewart, with the help of Judge Adam Ebaugh, the Post Office Department changed the town's postmark to "Stewartstown" on March 24, 1832.

Select the Right Esthetics Training Program near Stewartstown PA

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down 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 ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Stewartstown PA.