How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Santa Rosa CA

How to Pick an Esthetics Course near Santa Rosa California

Santa Rosa CA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Santa Rosa CA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s imperative that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further about 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 Santa Rosa residence. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not always the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Santa Rosa CA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you take some type of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Santa Rosa CA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and work in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As previously stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Santa Rosa CA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two pathways available to receive esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, 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 trained in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Santa Rosa CA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the California Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the next segment.

Online Esthetics Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Santa Rosa CA Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Santa Rosa CA students who are working full-time and have family commitments that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it’s imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Training Courses

Santa Rosa CA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Santa Rosa residence, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician training program you choose 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 95401 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Santa Rosa CA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Santa Rosa CA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the California school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive 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 imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Santa Rosa CA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct 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? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s essential that he or she gets support in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Santa Rosa CA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out 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 also. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Santa Rosa CA?

Perhaps you live in the Santa Rosa California 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.

Santa Rosa, California

Santa Rosa (lit. Spanish for "Saint Rose") is a city in and the county seat of Sonoma County, in California's Wine Country.[10] Its estimated 2016 population was 175,155.[11] Santa Rosa is the largest city in California's Redwood Empire, Wine Country and the North Bay; the fifth most populous city in the San Francisco Bay Area after San Jose, San Francisco, Oakland, and Fremont; and the 28th most populous city in California.

Santa Rosa was founded in 1833 and named after Saint Rose of Lima. Before the arrival of Europeans, the Santa Rosa Plain was home to a strong and populous tribe of Pomo natives known as the Bitakomtara. The Bitakomtara controlled the area closely, barring passage to others until permission was arranged. Those who entered without permission were subject to harsh penalties. The tribe gathered at ceremonial times on Santa Rosa Creek near present-day Spring Lake Regional Park. Upon the arrival of Europeans, the Pomos were decimated by smallpox brought from Europe, and by the eradication efforts of Anglo settlers. By 1900 the Pomo population had decreased by 95%.[12]

The first known permanent European settlement of Santa Rosa was the homestead of the Carrillo family, in-laws to Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, who settled the Sonoma pueblo and Petaluma area. In the 1830s, during the Mexican period, the family of María López de Carrillo built an adobe house on their Rancho Cabeza de Santa Rosa land grant, just east of what later became downtown Santa Rosa. Allegedly, however, by the 1820s, before the Carrillos built their adobe in the 1830s, Spanish and Mexican settlers from nearby Sonoma and other settlements to the south raised livestock in the area and slaughtered animals at the fork of the Santa Rosa Creek and Matanzas Creek, near the intersection of modern-day Santa Rosa Avenue and Sonoma Avenue. This is supposedly the origin of the name of Matanzas Creek as, because of its use as a slaughtering place, the confluence came to be called La Matanza.

Choose the Right Esthetics School near Santa Rosa CA

Choosing and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Santa Rosa CA.