How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Santee SC

How to Find the Right Esthetician Course near Santee South Carolina

Santee SC esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Santee SC, the task begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit more about that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Santee home. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Santee SC Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you undergo some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Santee SC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As already stated, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, such as 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

Santee SC esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues offered to get 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 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 available if you wish to focus on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Santee SC business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you choose, it’s important to make certain that it’s recognized by the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetics Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Santee SC Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Santee SC students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced because many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Programs

Santee SC models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Santee residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential 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 meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 29142 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 Santee SC 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? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Santee SC salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the South Carolina school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal 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 vision is to start a Santee SC 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 poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s imperative that she or he gets aid in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Santee SC businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Santee SC?

Perhaps you live in the Santee South Carolina 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.

Santee, South Carolina

Santee is a town in Orangeburg County along the Santee River Valley in central South Carolina, United States. It has become a resort town of note located centrally north-south along the Atlantic Seaboard of South Carolina. The region has been rural, with a primarily agricultural economy typical of Orangeburg County, but is now known primarily for its several golf courses in proximity to Lake Marion, Santee State Park and other Lake Marion attractions. Interstate 95 connects its attractions easily with tourists traveling by automobile. I-95 crosses a narrow arm of the lake into the town lands, along a causeway. Lake Marion is a man-made hydroelectric reservoir, which at 110,000 acres (450 km2, 173 sq mi) is one of the fifty largest lakes in the country.

Construction of the Santee Cooper Regional Water System can provide millions of gallons of potable water per day to the surrounding five counties centered about Santee. The system was coordinated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and funded by the Army Corps of Engineers, USEPA, and the South Carolina Department of Commerce. The plant was completed and operational as of 1 June 2008. Work to connect the plant to the five counties (Berkeley, Orangeburg, Dorchester, Calhoun, and Sumter) is underway and being overseen and funded by the same parties. Currently, the RWS serves the town of Santee, with pipeline rapidly being installed to other locations.[3] Incoming businesses from this project are projected to bring thousands of jobs to the area.[4]

As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 740 people, 310 households, and 221 families residing in the town. The population density was 367.4 people per square mile (142.1/km²). There were 394 housing units at an average density of 195.6 per square mile (75.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 28.11% White, 70.68% African American, 0.14% Asian, 0.54% from other races, and 0.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.81% of the population.

Choose the Right Esthetician Program near Santee SC

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Santee SC.