How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Sainte Genevieve MO

How to Choose an Esthetics Course near Sainte Genevieve Missouri

Sainte Genevieve MO esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Sainte Genevieve MO, the process starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit further concerning that in the next segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Sainte Genevieve home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the best option. There are several other qualifications that you should weigh when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about 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 kinds of courses are offered.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Sainte Genevieve MO Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves 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 take some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Sainte Genevieve MO beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed 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 working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees and Certificates

Sainte Genevieve MO esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally call for 12 to 18 months to finish, 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 main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a salon or other Sainte Genevieve MO business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you go with, it’s imperative to make sure that it’s approved by the Missouri Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.

Online Esthetician Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Sainte Genevieve MO Online esthetician schools are convenient for Sainte Genevieve MO students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Programs

Sainte Genevieve MO models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Sainte Genevieve residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure 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 ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not offered in 63670 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Sainte Genevieve MO businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. 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, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Sainte Genevieve MO salon owners or managers, or any person 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 thought of. And finally, contact the Missouri school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many 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 typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your vision is to open a Sainte Genevieve MO beauty salon, then you want 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 Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons 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 program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s crucial that he or she receives help in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Sainte Genevieve MO employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad 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. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Sainte Genevieve MO?

Perhaps you live in the Sainte Genevieve Missouri 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.

Ste. Genevieve, Missouri

Ste. Genevieve (Sainte-Geneviève with French spelling) is a city in Ste. Genevieve Township and is the county seat of Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri, United States.[7] The population was 4,410 at the 2010 census. Founded in 1735 by French Canadian colonists and settlers from east of the river, it was the first organized European settlement west of the Mississippi River in present-day Missouri.

Founded around 1740 by Canadien settlers and migrants from settlements in the Illinois Country just east of the Mississippi River, Ste. Geneviève is the oldest permanent European settlement in Missouri. It was named for Saint Genevieve (who lived in the 5th century AD), the patron saint of Paris, the capital of France. While most residents were of French-Canadian descent, many of the founding families had been in the Illinois Country for two or three generations. It is one of the oldest colonial settlements west of the Mississippi River.[8] This area was known as New France, Illinois Country, or the Upper Louisiana territory. Traditional accounts suggested a founding of 1735 or so, but the historian Carl Ekberg has documented a more likely founding about 1750. The population to the east of the river needed more land, as the soils in the older villages had become exhausted. Improved relations with hostile Native Americans, such as the Osage, made settlement possible.[9]

Prior to the French Canadian settlers, indigenous peoples known as the Mississippian culture and earlier cultures had been living in the region for more than a thousand years. At the time of settlement, however, no Indian tribe lived nearby on the west bank. Jacques-Nicolas Bellin's map of 1755, the first to show Ste. Genevieve in the Illinois Country, showed the Kaskaskia natives on the east side of the river, but no Indian village on the west side within 100 miles of Ste. Genevieve.[10] Osage hunting and war parties did enter the area from the north and west. The region had been relatively abandoned by 1500, likely due to environmental exhaustion, after the peak of Mississippian-culture civilization at Cahokia, the center of the mounds culture.

Find the Right Esthetics College near Sainte Genevieve MO

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented 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 exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Sainte Genevieve MO.