How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Bowdoinham ME

How to Choose an Esthetician Training Program near Bowdoinham Maine

Bowdoinham ME esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Bowdoinham ME, the process begins to search for and enroll in the right program. It’s essential that the school you choose not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be a little bit unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further about that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Bowdoinham residence. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the ideal choice. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Bowdoinham ME Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful with the application 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 can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Bowdoinham ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a client base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

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

As previously mentioned, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those conducting more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to get licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Bowdoinham ME esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues offered to get esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually take 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree usually takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be trained in each of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to focus on just one area, for example esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Bowdoinham ME business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you choose, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. Many states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the following segment.

Online Esthetician Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Bowdoinham ME Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Bowdoinham ME students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s vital that the program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Programs

Bowdoinham ME models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Bowdoinham residence, as well as the price of tuition, will most likely be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make sure that the esthetician school 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 comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 04008 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 Bowdoinham ME businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Each esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Bowdoinham ME salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your intention 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 Bowdoinham ME beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Learning and mastering esthetician skills and techniques requires lots of practice on people. Find out 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 make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s crucial that she or he gets support in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Bowdoinham ME businesses that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are considering have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 available to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an alternative before you learn what financial aid may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Bowdoinham ME?

Perhaps you live in the Bowdoinham Maine 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.

Bowdoinham, Maine

Bowdoinham is a town in Sagadahoc County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. The town is located on the west side of Merrymeeting Bay.

Fort Richmond was built upriver in 1719, protecting the area and encouraging British settlement. About 1720, the mouth of the Cathance River was first settled by Captain Gyles Watkins. But during Dummer's War, in the summer of 1723 all buildings in the region were burned and cattle killed by the Norridgewocks and their 250 Indian allies from New France. The Kennebec River region was abandoned. When Gov. William Dummer's Treaty of 1725 brought peace, it was resettled about 1730 by Abraham and Jonas Preble from York.[5]

Litigation from two conflicting claims, however, slowed the town's development. On July 3, 1637, Sir Ferdinando Gorges, the lord proprietor of Maine, had granted this part of New Somersetshire to Sir Richard Edgcumbe of Mount Edgcumbe House, situated at Cremyll in Cornwall, England. But the Kennebec Company conveyed it in 1752 to William Bowdoin of Boston, older brother of James Bowdoin. The contested ownership went to court, whereupon Bowdoin won because Edgcumbe's grant was found obsolete and indefinite.[6] On September 18, 1762, the Massachusetts General Court incorporated it as Bowdoinham, named for William Bowdoin. It originally included Richmond, set off in 1823, and portions of Topsham and the Plantation of West Bowdoinham, set off in 1788 as Bowdoin.[7]

Find the Right Esthetician Training Program near Bowdoinham ME

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is essential to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to organize all of the responses you get 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 procedure is to make certain that the college and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Bowdoinham ME.