How Do I Choose the Best Skin Care School?

To choose the best skin care school, you should first learn about the laws that govern the practice of aesthetics or beauty therapy in the jurisdiction where you live. If you live in an area that regulates the practice of offering professional skin care services, you will want to attend a skin care school that is recognized or licensed by the pertinent government agency or qualifications board that oversees the practice of cosmetology or personal appearance services. You should review the curriculum offered by any skin care school that you consider as well as the qualifications of its instructors. Ask the school about class size, and, if possible, visit the school's student clinic to get an idea of what its facilities are like and the quality of its students and faculty. Finally, compare course scheduling options and tuition costs between schools so as to find the program that best suits your financial and personal needs.

Each jurisdiction has its own rules governing skin care professionals. In some places, including most of the United States, you can offer skin care services to the public after earning an aesthetician's license. This typically requires attending a vocational school that offers an approved curriculum in skin care, hair removal, and makeup application techniques. If you live in an area that requires licensing, contact the local licensing board and request a list of schools that the board has approved for providing pre-licensure education.

In some cases, you may find that a skin care school is actually part of a school of cosmetology. It's important to find out whether the school of cosmetology treats its aesthetics students seriously and offers them the same level and quality of instruction that it provides to its cosmetology or hairdressing students. Ask about things like student-to-instructor ratios and how many skin care school graduates obtain full-time employment in the area of aesthetics. Many schools operate student clinics where the general public can receive discounted services from skin care school students. Make an appointment to have a facial in the clinics of the schools that you are considering so that you can see whether the students can operate in a clean, well-equipped environment and receive appropriate feedback from their instructors.

A skin care school's website or course catalog will typically provide information about when classes are scheduled and the cost of completing a program. If you are concerned about costs, find out if the school participates in government financial aid or job retraining programs. If you already work or have significant family responsibilities, you should also find out whether the school offers evening or weekend classes or whether you can attend on a part-time basis.