How to Pick the Best Esthetician College Near Scarborough Maine
Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Scarborough ME, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It's essential 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 begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Scarborough residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical aspect when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the ideal choice. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of programs are offered.
It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Esthetician Career Below!
Esthetics Training Requirements
Estheticians are highly trained, in-demand skincare experts, which is why an esthetics program requires around 600 hours of hands-on training hours. For licensure, you need to demonstrate a thorough understanding of the skin and the technology used in advanced treatments like lasers, LED lights, oxygen, or ultrasonic waves. Keep in mind that program requirements can vary by state, but most states require at least 600 hours of training to obtain a license in the field. In addition to training, estheticians should also have a professional and friendly personality that instills confidence in their clients. A skilled esthetician must be able to listen and empathize with their clients’ needs and concerns, often personalizing treatment for them.
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 Scarborough Maine nursing facilities, luxury resorts, dermatologist offices or hospitals.
Online Esthetics Schools
Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Scarborough ME students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's essential that the training program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.
Questions to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools
Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Scarborough home, together with the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental 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 organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must comply with their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Scarborough ME businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.
Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Scarborough ME salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Maine school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints 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, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden 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 objective is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Scarborough ME beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.
Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty academy provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends predominantly on using mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.
Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that she or he gets help in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help develop relationships with Scarborough ME businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.
Is Financial Aid Available? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not discard it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be offered.
More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Scarborough
Enroll in the Best Scarborough Esthetician Program
Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to reduce 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 launch your career as a professional esthetician in Scarborough Maine.
Scarborough Esthetician Schools | Scarborough Esthetician Schools Online