How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Picayune MS

How to Pick an Esthetics College near Picayune Mississippi

Picayune MS esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Picayune MS, the task begins to search for 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 chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll speak a little bit further about that in the upcoming section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Picayune home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Picayune MS Cosmetology is an occupation that is everything about making the human body look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can 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 kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Picayune MS beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles 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 previously mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Picayune MS esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two pathways offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally require 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 all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to focus on just one area, for instance 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 Picayune MS business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you decide on, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s certified by the Mississippi Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only approve schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Picayune MS Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Picayune MS students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the program you pick can provide internship training in area 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 impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Trade Schools

Picayune MS 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 contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Picayune residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician school you pick 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available in 39466 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Picayune MS 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 school that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly demanded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Picayune MS salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Mississippi 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? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you decide on 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 respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Picayune MS 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 weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology classes 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 furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s imperative that she or he receives help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Picayune MS businesses that are seeking skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations 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 respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing 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 available to students as well. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you learn what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Picayune MS?

Perhaps you live in the Picayune Mississippi 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.

Picayune, Mississippi

Picayune (/pɪkəˈjuːn/ pik-ə-YOON) is the largest city in Pearl River County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 10,878 at the 2010 census. Picayune was added to the New Orleans metropolitan area in 2014. The city is located approximately 45 miles (72 km) from New Orleans, Hattiesburg and Gulfport-Biloxi. The Stennis Space Center is 10 miles (16 km) away.

Picayune was incorporated in 1904, purportedly named by Eliza Jane Poitevent Nicholson in 1884, the owner and publisher of the New Orleans Daily Picayune, a newspaper named for the Spanish coin. The post office contains a mural, Lumber Regions of Mississippi, painted by Donald H. Robertson in 1940. Federally commissioned murals were produced from 1934 to 1943 in the United States through the Section of Painting and Sculpture, later called the Section of Fine Arts, of the Treasury Department.[2]

While Picayune received extensive damage from Hurricane Katrina, it was not as severe as in other nearby cities. This has caused it to become the permanent home for many who relocated from the New Orleans area and from the Mississippi Gulf Coast – who were seeking a safer home site with easy commuting to those areas.

Enroll in the Right Esthetician Program near Picayune MS

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is important to get the appropriate 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 certain to compile all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Picayune MS.