How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools El Paso TX

How to Pick an Esthetician Training Program near El Paso Texas

El Paso TX esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near El Paso TX, the task starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only provides the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a bit further about that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your El Paso home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the ideal option. There are several other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners El Paso TX 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 referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you go through some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only El Paso TX 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 customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and work in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As already stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. 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.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

El Paso TX esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options offered to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally 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 instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also likely include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other El Paso TX business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you opt for, it’s important to make certain that it’s recognized by the Texas Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Esthetician Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in El Paso TX Online esthetician schools are convenient for El Paso TX students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are typically fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours away from your home or driving to and from classes. However, it’s imperative that the program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

El Paso TX models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your El Paso home, in addition to the price of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn 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 even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized 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 ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 79901 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous El Paso TX employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with El Paso TX salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not thought of. Finally, consult the Texas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently 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 objective 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 desire is to start a El Paso TX beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So try to find other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s important that she or he receives help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with El Paso TX businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to 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 offered to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near El Paso TX?

Perhaps you live in the El Paso Texas 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.

El Paso, Texas

El Paso (/ɛl ˈpæsoʊ/; from Spanish, "The Pass") is a city in and the seat of El Paso County, situated in the far western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. As of July 1, 2017, the population estimate for the city from the U.S. Census was 683,577.[3] Its U.S. metropolitan area covers all of El Paso and Hudspeth counties in Texas, and has a population of 844,818.[3] The El Paso metropolitan area forms part of the larger El Paso–Las Cruces CSA, with a population of 1,053,267.[6]

El Paso stands on the Rio Grande river across the Mexico–United States border from Ciudad Juárez, the most populous city in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The two cities, along with Las Cruces in the neighboring U.S. state of New Mexico, form a combined international metropolitan area sometimes referred to as the Paso del Norte or El Paso–Juárez–Las Cruces. The region of over 2.7 million people constitutes the largest bilingual and binational work force in the Western Hemisphere.[7][8]

The city is the headquarters of Western Refining, a Fortune 500 company, and three publicly traded companies,[9] as well as home to the Medical Center of the Americas,[10] the only medical research and care provider complex in West Texas and Southern New Mexico,[11] and the University of Texas at El Paso, the city's primary university. The city hosts the annual Sun Bowl college football post-season game, the second oldest bowl game in the country.[12]

Find the Right Esthetics College near El Paso TX

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in El Paso TX.