How to Pick the Right Esthetician Course Near Portland Maine

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Portland ME, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you pick not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Portland residence. Tuition will also be a critical factor when reviewing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of programs are offered.

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Esthetics Training Requirements

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 Esthetics Training

Online esthetician programs are accommodating for Portland ME students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed via a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Programs

Following is a list of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Portland residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician training program you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Portland ME businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Portland ME salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And last, check with the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you pick a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your intention is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your dream is to launch 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. Selecting a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program offers limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So try to find alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that he or she receives help in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer assistance maintain relationships with Portland ME businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and learn 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 available to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you find out what financial help may be offered.

Find Out How to Become an Aesthetician in Portland

Enroll in the Right Portland Esthetician Program

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Portland Maine.

 

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