How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Dunbar WV

How to Enroll In an Esthetics School near Dunbar West Virginia

Dunbar WV esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Dunbar WV, the task begins to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the program you choose not only furnishes the proper training for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll speak a bit further regarding that in the next segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Dunbar home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when assessing potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning 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 available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Dunbar WV Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human body look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Dunbar WV beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional 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 most 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. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Dunbar WV esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options available 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 generally require 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 offered if you prefer to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Dunbar WV business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you choose, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the West Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the next section.

Online Esthetics Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Dunbar WV Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Dunbar WV students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Schools

Dunbar WV models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Dunbar residence, as well as the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably 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 need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician school you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 25064 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Dunbar WV businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Dunbar WV salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. And last, check with the West Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you pick a school that focuses on 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 respected for that program. If your desire is to launch a Dunbar WV beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty academy offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So search for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s important that she or he receives assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Dunbar WV employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you learn what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Dunbar WV?

Perhaps you live in the Dunbar West Virginia 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.

Dunbar, West Virginia

Dunbar was incorporated on April 19, 1921, by an Act of the West Virginia Legislature. Dunbar is on land that was originally occupied by Native Americans with 11 mounds identified in the residential areas. The land was granted to George Washington for his military service and was named for Mary Dunbar after she inherited the land from Washington, although other sources say it was named for Dunbar Baines, a prominent area banker.[6] Dunbar was a farming community until industries began to evolve in the City with the opening of glass and bottling plants in 1912. The Gravely Plow was invented in Dunbar in 1916.[7] Located at Dunbar is the Dutch Hollow Wine Cellars, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[8]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 7,907 people, 3,795 households, and 2,000 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,823.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,090.3/km2). There were 4,175 housing units at an average density of 1,491.1 per square mile (575.7/km2). The racial makeup of the city was 82.7% White, 12.2% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.7% Asian, 0.4% from other races, and 2.7% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.0% of the population.

There were 3,795 households of which 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.8% were married couples living together, 14.8% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.1% had a male householder with no wife present, and 47.3% were non-families. 40.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 16.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.05 and the average family size was 2.75.

Enroll in the Right Esthetician School near Dunbar WV

Choosing 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 need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Dunbar WV.