If you are interested in taking manicure courses, you should consider your reasons for taking the courses, the reputation of the manicure or nail technology schools that you are considering and the cost of the program. Another thing to consider is whether a school offers manicure courses on a schedule that makes it easy for you to regularly attend courses. In many places, you cannot give manicures for pay unless you are licensed by a government agency, and you can get a license only if you take courses offered through a school that has been by the licensing commission. This might not be of any concern only if you want to learn how care for your own nails, but if you hope to earn money as a manicurist, you will need to take your courses from an approved provider.
You can save a lot of money by learning how to do your own nails at home. If this is of interest to you, you might be able to find manicure courses taught by adult education programs in your area. These programs will not prepare you for a career as a manicurist, but they can teach you how to give yourself or others a home manicure. Check out the websites of local adult education providers for more information about these non-professional courses.
Professional manicure courses typically are taught at vocational schools. Many beauty colleges will train you to give manicures and pedicures either as part of their standard cosmetology program or in a specialist manicurist or nail technician certificate program. If you are interested in performing other personal appearance services, such as cutting hair or applying makeup, you might consider completing a full cosmetology program. On the other hand, if you are interested in learning only about nails, a nail technician program is much faster and cheaper than the cosmetology option. Before rolling in the school, verify with the licensing board in your area that the school is authorized to provide instruction in nail technology to potential licensees.
You can ask professional manicurists whether they can recommend manicure courses to you. The licensing board for manicurists in your area might be able to tell you whether a particular school has come under any disciplinary action, which might affect your decision to enroll there. Be sure to ask about the cost of attending classes and whether there is any financial aid available. It might be in your best interest to attend a school that offers you a low tuition, but it is up to you to decide whether cost is a priority concern. Finally, find out about the school's course scheduling policy so that you'll know whether you can fit coursework into your personal schedule.
