How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Falmouth ME

How to Pick an Esthetics College near Falmouth Maine

Falmouth ME esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Falmouth ME, the task starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the school you select not only furnishes the proper instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start 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 names are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further regarding that in the following section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Falmouth home. Tuition will likewise be an important consideration when reviewing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not automatically the right option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Falmouth ME Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the application of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Falmouth ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many professional names 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 already mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists must be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example 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.

Esthetician Degrees and Certificates

Falmouth ME esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two pathways available to obtain 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 usually require 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you prefer to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also likely feature management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a salon or other Falmouth ME business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, it’s important to make certain that it’s approved by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Falmouth ME Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Falmouth ME students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many web-based beauty school programs available that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are often fast paced because many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount 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 commuting to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to obtain the skills required 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 available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Schools

Falmouth ME models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a list of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Falmouth residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will most likely be your first 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 reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled several of those additional questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician school you select 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 can also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 04105 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Falmouth ME businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding 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. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Falmouth ME salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And finally, check with the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s essential that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. If 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 dream is to open a Falmouth ME beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s imperative that he or she receives help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid develop relationships with Falmouth ME employers that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Verify that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Many esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications except for cost, do not omit it as an option before you learn what financial aid may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Falmouth ME?

Perhaps you live in the Falmouth 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.

Falmouth, Maine

Falmouth is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 11,185 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area.

Native Americans followed receding glaciers into Maine around 11,000 BC. At the time of European contact in the sixteenth century, people speaking an Eastern dialect of the Wabanaki language inhabited present-day Falmouth. Captain John Smith observed a semi-autonomous band known as the Aucocisco living in Casco Bay. English explorer Christopher Levett met with the Aucocisco Sagamore Skittery Gusset at his summer village at the Presumpscot Falls in 1623.

A combination of warfare and disease decimated Native peoples in the years before English colonization, creating a "shatter zone" of devastation and political instability in what would become southern Maine. The introduction of European wares in the 1500s reoriented long-standing Native trade relationships in the Gulf of Maine. Warfare soon broke out among groups such as the Mi'kmaq and Penobscot who sought to subjugate their neighbors by monopolizing access to European goods. The arrival of foreign pathogens only served to compound the upheaval in the region. A particularly notorious epidemic between 1614 and 1620 ravaged the population of coastal New England with mortality rates at upwards of 90 percent. Native peoples were not totally destroyed however, maintaining a presence in the Casco Bay area until King George's War in the 1740s. French military defeat and increasing English settler migration to the area from primarily southern New England impelled most Native Americans to assimilate into European society, migrate toward the protection of New France or further up the coast where they remain today.[4]

Pick the Right Esthetician Training Program near Falmouth ME

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, 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 exam, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Falmouth ME.