How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Stonington CT

How to Find the Right Esthetician College near Stonington Connecticut

Stonington CT esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Stonington CT, the process starts to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It’s important that the program you choose not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit further about that in the following segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Stonington residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical factor when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not necessarily the ideal option. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are offered.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Stonington CT Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Stonington CT beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional names and work in a wide range of specializations including:

Estheticians
Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Electrolysis Technicians

As earlier mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Stonington CT esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two pathways available to receive esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs generally take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are offered if you wish to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also most likely include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Stonington CT business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you opt for, it’s essential to make sure that it’s recognized by the Connecticut Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the benefits of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetician Classes

woman attending esthetician school online in Stonington CT Online esthetician programs are convenient for Stonington CT students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced due to the fact that 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 many hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s essential that the 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 complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills necessary to work in any area 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 Esthetics Schools

Stonington CT models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Stonington residence, together with the price of tuition, will probably be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician college you choose is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 06378 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Stonington CT businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician school that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Stonington CT salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to propose others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Connecticut 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, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your intention 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 open a Stonington CT beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands lots of practice on people. Ask 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 provides limited or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for acquiring your skills. So look for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s crucial that she or he gets assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Stonington CT employers that are looking for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships accessible to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not discard it as an alternative until you determine what financial help may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Stonington CT?

Perhaps you live in the Stonington Connecticut area, or have found a school that you will commute to or even relocate to attend. Either way, following is some interesting background information about the location of your new esthetician program.

Stonington, Connecticut

The town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut, United States, in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, Wequetequock, and the eastern halves of the villages of Mystic and Old Mystic (the other halves being in the town of Groton). The population of the town was 18,545 at the 2010 census.[1]

The first European colonists established a trading house in the Pawcatuck section of town in 1649. The present territory of Stonington was part of lands that had belonged to the Pequot people, who referred to the areas making up Stonington as Pawcatuck (Stony Brook to the Pawcatuck River) and Mistack (Mystic River to Stony Brook). It was named "Souther Towne" or Southerton by Massachusetts in 1658, and officially became part of Connecticut in 1662 when Connecticut received its royal charter. Southerton was renamed "Mistick" in 1665,[2]:26 and finally named Stonington in 1666,[2]:36 meaning "stony town".[3]Thomas Miner, Walter Palmer, William Chesebrough, and Thomas Stanton were the founders. The town of North Stonington was set off as a parish from Stonington in 1724 and incorporated as a town in 1807.

Stonington first gained wealth in the 1790s when its harbor was home to a fleet engaged in the profitable seal hunting trade in which seals were hunted on islands off the Chilean and Patagonian coasts, and their skins were sold as fur in China.[4]

Find the Right Esthetics Program near Stonington CT

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is important to obtain the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A good start 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 field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Stonington CT.