How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Redmond WA

How to Enroll In an Esthetician College near Redmond Washington

Redmond WA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Redmond WA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s important that the school you pick not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a bit further about that in the following segment. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Redmond home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not always the ideal choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Redmond WA Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through 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 term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Redmond WA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and work in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As already mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. 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 get licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Redmond WA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two pathways available to receive esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to specialize in just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also most likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Redmond WA business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of course you opt for, it’s important to make certain that it’s certified by the Washington Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Redmond WA Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Redmond WA students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced since many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the school you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills required 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.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools

Redmond WA models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Redmond home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician college you choose 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 measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 98052 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Redmond WA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Redmond WA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Washington 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? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your goal 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 open a Redmond WA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s imperative that she or he receives help in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Redmond WA businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not discard it as an alternative until you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Redmond WA?

Perhaps you live in the Redmond Washington 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.

Redmond, Washington

Redmond is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located 16 miles (26 km) east of Seattle. The population was 64,291 in a 2017 census estimate. Redmond is commonly recognized as the home of Microsoft and Nintendo of America. With an annual bike race on city streets and the state's only velodrome, Redmond is also known as the "Bicycle Capital of the Northwest".[4][5]

Native Americans have lived in the Redmond area for over 10,000 years, based on artifacts discovered at the Redmond Town Center archaeological site and Marymoor Prehistoric Indian Site.[6][7] The first European settlers arrived in the 1870s. Luke McRedmond filed a Homestead Act claim for land next to the Sammamish Slough on September 9, 1870, and the following year Warren Perrigo took up land adjacent to him. The rivers and streams had so many salmon that the settlement was initially named Salmonberg. More settlers came, and with the establishment of the first post office in 1881, the name of the community was changed to Melrose. The new name was derived from the Perrigos' successful inn, Melrose House, which upset McRedmond. After becoming postmaster, he successfully petitioned to have the name changed to Redmond in 1883.[8]

The abundant forests and fish of Redmond provided jobs for loggers and fishermen and with those jobs came demand for goods and services, bringing in merchants. The logging industry expanded significantly in 1889 when Seattle Lake Shore & Eastern Railway built a station in the center of town. The first plat for Redmond was filed on May 11, 1891, encompassing much of the area now known as downtown. After reaching the necessary population of 300, Redmond was incorporated on December 31, 1912.[8]

Enroll in the Right Esthetics Vocational School near Redmond WA

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician college is essential to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Redmond WA.