How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools West Harrison IN

How to Select an Esthetics School near West Harrison Indiana

West Harrison IN esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near West Harrison IN, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather unclear 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 about that in the upcoming section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your West Harrison residence. Tuition will also be a critical aspect when reviewing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the right choice. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners West Harrison IN Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves 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 be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only West Harrison IN beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many names and are employed in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As formerly stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain 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 be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees and Certificates

West Harrison IN 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) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually call for 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 each 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 probably incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other West Harrison IN business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it’s important to make sure that it’s approved by the Indiana Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the benefits of accreditation for the school you select in the following segment.

Online Esthetician Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in West Harrison IN Online esthetician programs are convenient for West Harrison IN students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs available that can be accessed via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

West Harrison IN models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your West Harrison home, as well as the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 47060 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of West Harrison 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? Every esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with West Harrison IN salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, contact the Indiana school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that specializes in 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 launch a West Harrison IN beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s important that he or she receives help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with West Harrison IN employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you determine what financial help may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near West Harrison IN?

Perhaps you live in the West Harrison 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.

West Harrison, Indiana

According to the 2010 census, West Harrison has a total area of 0.228 square miles (0.59 km2), of which 0.22 square miles (0.57 km2) (or 96.49%) is land and 0.008 square miles (0.02 km2) (or 3.51%) is water.[9]

As of the census[2] of 2010, there were 289 people, 136 households, and 68 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,313.6 inhabitants per square mile (507.2/km2). There were 174 housing units at an average density of 790.9 per square mile (305.4/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 99.0% White, 0.3% African American, 0.3% Native American, and 0.3% Asian. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.3% of the population.

There were 136 households of which 21.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.1% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 6.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 50.0% were non-families. 43.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 11% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.94.

Choose the Right Esthetics College near West Harrison IN

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to compile all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in West Harrison IN.