How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Boothbay ME

How to Find the Right Esthetician Training Program near Boothbay Maine

Boothbay ME esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Boothbay ME, the process starts to search for and enroll in the right program. It’s important that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little 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 Boothbay home. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not necessarily the best choice. There are various other considerations that you should weigh when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of courses are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Boothbay ME Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you go through some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Boothbay ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a clientele, open their own shops or salons. Others will start servicing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed in a wide variety 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 a few states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Boothbay ME esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two pathways offered to get 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 call for 12 to 18 months to finish, 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 main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you want to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably feature management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Boothbay ME business. More advanced degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specialties as salon or spa management. Whichever type of program you choose, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s approved by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the following section.

Online Esthetician Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Boothbay ME Online esthetician classes are convenient for Boothbay ME students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology programs are typically fast paced since many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the school you select can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Boothbay ME models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Boothbay 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 probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician training program you choose 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be important for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not obtainable in 04537 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Boothbay ME employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Boothbay ME salon owners or managers, or someone working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Maine school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you enroll in 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 respected for that program. If your desire is to open a Boothbay ME beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s important that she or he gets support in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Boothbay ME businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? Most esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn 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 available to students too. If a school fulfills all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option until you find out what financial assistance may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Boothbay ME?

Perhaps you live in the Boothbay 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.

Boothbay, Maine

Boothbay is a town in Lincoln County, Maine, United States. The population was 3,120 at the 2010 census. It includes the villages of East Boothbay and Trevett. The Boothbay region is a center of summer tourist activity, and a significant part of its population does not live there year-round.[4] Five shipyards are located in the town, the largest of which is Washburn & Doughty.[5]

The first European presence was a British fishing station on Cape Newagen in 1623. By the 1630s, there were a few families. Henry Curtis purchased from the sachem Mowhotiwormet (commonly known as Chief Robinhood) the right to settle here in 1666. The inhabitants fled in 1676 during King Philip's War and returned in 1677. In 1689 during King William's War, they were driven out again, and the village remained a desolate waste for 40 years.[6]

Colonel David Dunbar, governor of the Territory of Sagadahock, laid out a town in 1730 known as Townsend, and convinced about 40 families of Scots-Irish Presbyterians, largely from the north of Ireland, to settle here. Some were veterans of the Revolution of 1688. Named for Lord Charles Townshend, this settlement survived and was incorporated November 3, 1764. It was renamed Boothbay in 1842 after the hamlet of Boothby, which is located about a mile east of Welton le Marsh in Lincolnshire, England.[7]Southport was set off in 1842 and incorporated as a town, followed in 1889 by Boothbay Harbor.[8]

Choose the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Boothbay ME

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to receive the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence process is to make sure that the academy and program you decide on are accredited and have exceptional reputations within the profession. 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 right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Boothbay ME.