How to Select the Best Esthetician Classes Near Portland Maine

Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Portland ME, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you choose not only provides the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Portland residence. Tuition will additionally be a critical aspect when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what types of courses are available.

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Esthetician Training Programs

Esthetics school is an investment of time, energy, and money. Requirements vary from state to state, but the majority of states require that you complete at least 600 hours of training. Full-time school can take an average of six months to complete, and part-time school can take anywhere from 9-12 months. The primary purpose of esthetics school is to get you ready to pass the state licensing exam. They also teach basic skills that you will need to perfect through experience and sometimes additional classes, such as giving facials, body treatments, and performing waxing.  More advanced training includes learning to work with machines, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and permanently remove hair.

Esthetician Job Description

Estheticians provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Portland Maine clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:

• Assessing a patient’s needs
• Chemical peels
• Laser treatments
• Waxing
• Facials
• Massage of the head and neck
• Microdermabrasion

Online Esthetician Courses

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Portland ME students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools

Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Portland home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish 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 must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician college you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Portland ME employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Each esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Portland ME salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Maine school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to start a Portland ME beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's crucial that he or she gets help in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Portland ME businesses that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not drop it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be provided.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Portland

Enroll in the Best Portland Esthetician Course

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is essential to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make sure to consolidate all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your career as a professional esthetician in Portland Maine.

 

Portland Esthetician Schools Near Me | Portland Esthetician Programs