How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Lake Station IN

How to Select an Esthetics Course near Lake Station Indiana

Lake Station IN esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lake Station IN, the process begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the program you select not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be rather confused 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 kind of school. We’ll talk a bit more regarding that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lake Station home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Lake Station IN Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many 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, most states mandate that you take some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Lake Station IN beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names 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 earlier stated, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Lake Station IN esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options 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 usually 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 trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Lake Station IN business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whatever type of training program you go with, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Indiana Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.

Online Esthetician Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Lake Station IN Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Lake Station IN students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced since many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So don’t forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Lake Station IN 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 Lake Station residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial 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 options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 46405 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 Lake Station IN businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good 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 sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Lake Station IN salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, check with the Indiana school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you select a school that specializes in 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 launch a Lake Station IN beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s important that she or he gets assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Lake Station IN employers that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option before you learn what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Lake Station IN?

Perhaps you live in the Lake Station Indiana 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.

Lake Station, Indiana

Initially, the site of modern Lake Station was the starting point of two Amerind trails leading to Fort Dearborn.[7] Later it became an early stagecoach depot stop, as the Fort Dearborn-Detroit Stagecoach Route passed through the site during the wet season.[7] The location became known as Lake Station as far back as 1851 when it began to serve as a depot, the western terminus of the Michigan Central Railroad[7] (on what would later become its Detroit to Chicago line). This was the first train station in Lake County.[7] The Michigan Central Railroad built a park and railroad shops around its two-story depot.[7] A year later, in April 1852, George Earle mapped out and platted a town[7] of about 6,500 acres (26 km2) on the site, continuing its name of Lake Station.

Being a bedroom community, Lake Station welcomed Abraham Lincoln to its Audubon Hotel, perhaps on more than one occasion, according to oral history. But George Pullman, who tried to negotiate for land in Lake Station for his proposed railcar company, never struck a deal and set up shop on the south side of Chicago instead. Prior to its current location in Crown Point, Indiana, the county seat was located on what is now the west end of Lake Station in a section called Liverpool, although it was a separate settlement at the time.

The name of Lake Station was officially changed to East Gary in 1908 in an attempt to lure executives from the nearby US Steel plant in Gary, Indiana into creating a suburban community. With another name change in 1977, primarily to disassociate itself from the urban decay and crime of Gary, the city reverted to its historical designation of Lake Station.

Choose the Right Esthetician College near Lake Station IN

Choosing 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 require in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you choose 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 right selection. Once 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 Lake Station IN.