How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Simpsonville SC

How to Pick an Esthetician Course near Simpsonville South Carolina

Simpsonville 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 Simpsonville SC, the task starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit further concerning that in the next segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Simpsonville residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not always the ideal option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Simpsonville SC Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic can be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Simpsonville SC beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As earlier mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Simpsonville SC 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 usually take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to focus on just one area, for instance 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 Simpsonville SC business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you go with, it’s important to make sure that it’s certified by the South Carolina Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected 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 following segment.

Online Esthetician Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Simpsonville SC Online esthetician schools are convenient for Simpsonville SC students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a significant 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 driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools

Simpsonville SC models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Simpsonville home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the School 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 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 guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 29680 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Simpsonville SC employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. 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 demanded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Simpsonville SC salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. And last, contact the South Carolina 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? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing 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 typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you pick a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal 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 aspiration is to launch a Simpsonville SC beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s imperative that he or she receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Simpsonville SC businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? 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 department. Talk to a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you determine what financial help may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Simpsonville SC?

Perhaps you live in the Simpsonville 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.

Simpsonville, South Carolina

Simpsonville is a city in Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. It is part of the Greenville–Mauldin–Easley Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 18,238 at the 2010 census,[3] up from 14,352 in 2000. The population had risen to an estimated 20,736 as of 2015.[4] Simpsonville is part of the "Golden Strip", along with Mauldin and Fountain Inn, an area which is noted for having low unemployment due to a diversity of industries including Para-Chem, Kemet, Sealed Air and Milliken.

Simpsonville is located in southeastern Greenville County at 34°44′0″N 82°15′36″W / 34.73333°N 82.26000°W / 34.73333; -82.26000 (34.733375, -82.260001),[6] between Mauldin to the northwest and Fountain Inn to the southeast. The center of town has an elevation of 866 feet (264 m) above sea level.

South Carolina Highway 14 runs through the center of Simpsonville as Main Street, leading north 16 miles (26 km) to Greer and southeast 5 miles (8 km) to the center of Fountain Inn. The center of Mauldin is 4.5 miles (7.2 km) to the northwest via South Carolina Highway 417. Interstate 385 passes through Simpsonville west of the city center, with access from Exits 26 through 29. I-385 leads northwest 14 miles (23 km) to the center of Greenville and southeast 28 miles (45 km) to Interstate 26 near Clinton. Columbia, the state capital, is 89 miles (143 km) southeast of Simpsonville.

Select the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Simpsonville SC

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Simpsonville SC.