How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Plano TX

How to Choose an Esthetics Course near Plano Texas

Plano TX esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Plano TX, the process starts to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s essential that the school you choose not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin 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 talk a little bit more concerning that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Plano residence. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the best choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Plano TX Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some form of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Plano TX beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by 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 formerly mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example 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.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Plano TX esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues offered to obtain 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 normally take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Plano TX business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the Texas Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next segment.

Online Esthetician Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Plano TX Online esthetician classes are convenient for Plano TX students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced given that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it’s vital that the training program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Courses

Plano 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 considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Plano residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue 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 additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below 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 certain that the esthetician college you pick 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 guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 75023 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Plano TX businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Plano TX salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Texas school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand 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 sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your desire is to start a Plano TX beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s crucial that she or he receives support in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develop relationships with Plano TX employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, 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 Available? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Plano TX?

Perhaps you live in the Plano 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.

Plano, Texas

Plano (/ˈpleɪnoʊ/ PLAY-noh) is a city in the U.S. state of Texas, located approximately twenty miles north of downtown Dallas. The city of Plano is a part of the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. Plano lies mostly within Collin County, but includes a small portion that extends into Denton County.

The city's population was 269,776 at the 2010 census, making it the ninth most populous city in the state of Texas and the 69th most populous in the United States.[4] The city is a hub for many corporate headquarters. Plano is also considered to be the safest city in the nation, according to Forbes.[5]

European settlers came to the area near present-day Plano in the early 1840s.[6] Facilities such as a sawmill, a gristmill, and a store soon brought more people to the area. A mail service was established, and after rejecting several names for the nascent town (including naming it in honor of then-President Millard Fillmore),[7] residents suggested the name Plano (from the Spanish word for "flat"), as a reference to the local terrain, unvaried and devoid of any trees. The name was accepted by the post office.[7]

Select the Right Esthetics Program near Plano TX

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the responses 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 start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Plano TX.