How to Find the Best Aesthetician School Near Gorham Maine
Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Gorham ME, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you pick not only furnishes the appropriate education for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Gorham home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the right option. There are several other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of programs are offered.
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Esthetician Training Requirements
An esthetics program may be found in a school of cosmetology, a dedicated esthetics school or, in some cases, a junior college. An esthetics program’s length is generally determined by the state in which it is located, as each state board of cosmetology sets minimum requirements for the number of hours of training an esthetics program must provide to meet the state’s licensing requirements. However, it is also quite common for esthetics programs to offer more extensive study beyond what is required for licensing purposes. In general, an esthetics program consists of about 600 hours, a common requirement in many states. However, a number of states require less than 600 hours and perhaps just as many require more than 600. Most state boards of cosmetology maintain lists of approved programs of esthetics within the state, while others recognize all programs that meet the state’s minimum clock-hour requirement. A comprehensive esthetics program includes instruction not only in esthetic treatment procedures and services, but in areas such as the structure of the skin and its function, disorders of the skin, and professional business skills.
Esthetician Job Description
An esthetician is a professional skin specialist who identifies cosmetic issues (such as wrinkles, pigmentation, or blemishes) and applies treatments to improve their condition. Most estheticians perform skin treatments like facials, superficial chemical peels, body treatments, skin conditioning, and blemish extraction, but they may also do waxing, lash extensions, and makeovers. Estheticians, unlike licensed cosmetologists, are also able to provide advanced treatments like microdermabrasion, chemical peels, light therapy, and hair removal. They may also educate clients on products, skincare regimens, and the benefits of esthetic procedures. Medical estheticians in clinical settings may help people identify and recover from health issues affecting the skin, such as working with cancer patients or burn victims after surgical procedures. Typically an esthetician works with a client in a spa or salon setting. Some estheticians work in a medical setting to complement medical services, such as in a dermatologist’s office, but they are not medical professionals. Estheticians may also work in locations as varied as Gorham Maine nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.
Online Esthetics Programs
Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Gorham ME students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced given that many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Training Courses
Following is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Gorham residence, in addition to the expense of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you enroll in 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Gorham ME employers will not employ 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 considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Gorham ME salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And last, check with the Maine school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.
What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your dream is to open a Gorham ME beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.
Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on people. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So search for alternate schools that offer this type of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that he or she receives assistance in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Gorham ME businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you determine what financial aid may be available.
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Enroll in the Right Gorham Esthetician Course
Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Gorham Maine.
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