How to Find the Best Aesthetician Program Near South Portland Maine

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near South Portland ME, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you choose not only furnishes the proper education for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be somewhat puzzled about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your South Portland home. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when reviewing potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it's not automatically the right choice. There are many other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of courses are available.

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Esthetics 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 South 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 Schools

Online esthetician programs are convenient for South Portland ME students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Schools

Below is a list of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your South Portland home, in addition to the cost of tuition, will most likely be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue 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 need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you need to 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 pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable 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 South Portland ME businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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 regarded. Check rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with South Portland ME salon owners or managers, or any person 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 looked into. And last, 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?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you select 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 well regarded for that program. If your aspiration is to start a South 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. Picking a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Studying and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on using mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So search for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's essential that she or he gets help in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with South Portland ME businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and inquire which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  The majority of esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option until you learn what financial help may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in South Portland

Enroll in the Right South Portland Esthetician Program

Locating 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 confident about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to start your career as a professional esthetician in South Portland Maine.

 

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