How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Mcallen TX

How to Select an Esthetics Course near Mcallen Texas

Mcallen TX esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Mcallen TX, the task starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the school you choose not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll talk a little bit further regarding that in the upcoming section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Mcallen home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the right option. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of training programs are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Mcallen TX Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic can be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Mcallen TX beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specialties 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 performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees and Certificates

Mcallen TX esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues available to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally 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 instructed in all of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Mcallen TX business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the Texas Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetician Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Mcallen TX Online esthetician schools are convenient for Mcallen TX students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you select can provide internship training in area 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 gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Mcallen TX models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Mcallen home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some 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 sure that the esthetician school 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable in 78501 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Mcallen TX businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may 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 exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references 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 demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Mcallen TX salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And finally, contact the Texas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing 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 often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in 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 open a Mcallen TX beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, 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 develop relationships with Mcallen TX businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded 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 looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Mcallen TX?

Perhaps you live in the Mcallen 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.

McAllen, Texas

McAllen is the largest city in Hidalgo County, Texas, United States, and the twenty-second most populous city in Texas. It is located at the southern tip of the state in the Rio Grande Valley. The city limits extend south to the Rio Grande, across from the Mexican city of Reynosa, and McAllen is approximately 70 miles (110 km) west of the Gulf of Mexico. As of 2017, McAllen’s population was estimated to be 142,696.[3] It is the fifth most populous metropolitan area in the state of Texas, and the bi-national Reynosa–McAllen Metropolitan Area counts a population of nearly 1.5 million.[4]

From its settlement in 1904, the area around McAllen was largely rural and agricultural in character. But the latter half of the 20th century saw steady growth, which the metropolitan area still experiences today. The introduction of the maquiladora economy and the North American Free Trade Association led to an increase in cross-border trading with Mexico.[5]

In 1904 the Hidalgo and San Miguel Extension (now the Sam Fordyce Branch) of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway reached the Santa Anita Ranch. John McAllen and his son James donated land to the railroad to guarantee it would cross the area. On December 5, 1904, the McAllen Townsite Company was formed by Uriah Lott, Leonidas C. Hill Sr., John McAllen, James Ballí McAllen, and John J. Young. The new community, which was named for John McAllen, had the depot nearest the county seat, Hidalgo, 8 miles (13 km) to the south.

Pick the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Mcallen TX

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician program is imperative to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Mcallen TX.