How to Choose the Best Aesthetician College Near Saco Maine
Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Saco ME, the process begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Saco home. Tuition will likewise be an important aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the right choice. There are a number of other considerations that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a bit about what kinds of training programs 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 Saco 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 Training
Online esthetician classes are convenient for Saco ME students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Schools
Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Saco home, in addition to the expense of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.
Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's essential to make certain that the esthetician school you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, 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 may also be essential for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Saco ME employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.
Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Saco ME salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Maine school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.
What’s the School’s Focus? 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, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your objective 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 vision is to start a Saco ME beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.
Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities requires lots of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School Provide Job Assistance? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that he or she receives assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid develop relationships with Saco ME businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.
Is Financial Assistance Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students too. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not drop it as an alternative until you determine what financial aid may be available.
Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Saco
Enroll in the Best Saco Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your career as a professional esthetician in Saco Maine.
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