How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Galena Park TX

How to Select an Esthetician School near Galena Park Texas

Galena Park TX esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Galena Park TX, the process starts to find and enroll in the right program. It’s important that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. We’ll talk a little bit more regarding that in the following section. If you plan on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Galena Park home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Galena Park TX Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Galena Park TX beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places 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 residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As formerly stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Galena Park TX esthetician client with face mask There are basically two avenues available to obtain 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 normally require 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 instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you prefer to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Galena Park TX business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you choose, it’s essential to make sure that it’s recognized by the Texas Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Galena Park TX Online esthetician classes are convenient for Galena Park TX students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be attended through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you’re not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s imperative that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs

Galena Park TX models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Galena Park home, as well as the expense of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

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 certified local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 77547 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Galena Park TX employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Every esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Galena Park TX salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, check with the Texas 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 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, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to launch a Galena Park TX 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 weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty 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 relies predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s crucial that he or she gets assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Galena Park TX businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing 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 offered to students as well. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you find out what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Galena Park TX?

Perhaps you live in the Galena Park Texas 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.

Galena Park, Texas

Issac Batterson and his family settled in the area in 1833; it was a part of the Ezekiel Thomas Survey.[4] The area of Galena Park began as the settlement of Clinton in 1835.[5] The center of what would become Galena Park was a 1,000-acre (400 ha) tract that Batterson purchased from the estate of Ezekiel Thomas.[4] The settlement originally served as a farming and ranching community but in the 1880s transformed into a railroad center along the new Port of Houston. With the coming of the petrochemical industry in the early 1900s, Clinton again transformed into a refinery center.[5]

Clinton attempted to establish a post office in 1935, but the request was denied as another Clinton, Texas had established the name. The settlement's name was changed to Galena Park after the Galena Signal Oil Company of Texas, which built the first refinery there. Galena Park's original name survives today as the name of a major street in the city, Clinton Drive.[5] Because of the 1935 incorporation, Houston did not incorporate Galena Park's territory into its city limits, while Houston annexed surrounding areas that were unincorporated.[6] By the late 1930s Houston was growing as a port, so Galena Park expanded. Since the 1940s area residents considered the city to be a part of Greater Houston.[5]

The economy of Galena Park began to suffer in the early 1980s, when cranes used to haul ship cargo were reduced; prior to the early 1980s a team of workers who took up to one week to load cargo off of a ship stayed in the port city and contributed to its local economy, but the new technology lead to ships unloading all cargo in less than one day.[7] The 1980s also hit Galena Park's economy with all the layoffs from the steel mills.[citation needed] The economy further decreased after the September 11, 2001 attacks, when sea port administrators tightened security rules that governed whether sailors could leave ships docked at port.[7]

Choose the Right Esthetician Program near Galena Park TX

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 need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to consolidate 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 sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you decide on are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Galena Park TX.