How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Lebanon ME

How to Pick an Esthetician Course near Lebanon Maine

Lebanon ME esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Lebanon ME, the task begins to search for and enroll in the best program. It’s imperative that the school you select not only provides the proper education for the specialty you have chosen, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. We’ll talk a little bit further concerning that in the following segment. If you plan on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Lebanon home. Tuition will additionally be an important aspect when evaluating potential schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the nearest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the ideal choice. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Lebanon ME Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. In order to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states mandate that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then become licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Lebanon ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gained experience and a customer base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own homes or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many titles and work in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As already stated, in most states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetics Degrees

Lebanon ME esthetician client with face mask There are basically two pathways offered to obtain 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 normally require 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 all of the main areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to focus on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Lebanon ME business. Higher degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you choose, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s certified by the Maine Board of Cosmetology. Many states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain respected agencies, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following segment.

Online Esthetics Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Lebanon ME Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Lebanon ME students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s essential that the school you pick can provide internship training in area salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult 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 school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Classes

Lebanon ME models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a series of questions that you should look into for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Lebanon residence, as well as the expense 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 reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you need to research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final decision.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain 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 guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 04027 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Lebanon ME businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly regarded. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Lebanon ME salon owners or managers, or someone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. And finally, contact the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. If your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to open a Lebanon ME beauty salon, then you need 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 pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided? Studying and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty courses you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school offers little or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective option for developing your skills. So try to find other schools that furnish this kind of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance? When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s important that she or he receives aid in securing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance maintain relationships with Lebanon ME businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm 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 offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might get approved 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 drop it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Lebanon ME?

Perhaps you live in the Lebanon 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.

Lebanon, Maine

Lebanon is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,031 at the 2010 census. Lebanon includes the villages of Center Lebanon, West Lebanon, North Lebanon, South Lebanon and East Lebanon. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area. Lebanon Airport is home to Skydive New England.

It was called Towwoh by the Newichawannock Abenaki tribe, whose main village was further down the Salmon Falls River. On April 20, 1733, the Massachusetts General Court granted Towwoh Plantation to 60 colonists, who first settled it in 1743. The township was incorporated on June 17, 1767, renamed Lebanon after the biblical land of Lebanon. It was Maine's 23rd town. Lebanon annexed unincorporated land in 1785, and some from Sanford in 1787. It swapped land with Shapleigh, giving some in 1793, then annexing some in 1825.[4]

Farmers found the surface of the town relatively level in the southeast, with extensive pine plains in the northwest. The chief crop would be hay. At the Salmon Falls River and the Little River were water power sites for mills. Lebanon had four sawmills, three gristmills, a shingle mill, a wool carding mill and a tannery. In 1850, Oren B. Cheney founded West Lebanon Academy. Beginning in the early 1870s, the Portland and Rochester Railroad ran the length of the town's southeast side, with the Portsmouth, Great Falls and Conway Railroad crossing for a short distance on the western side.[5]

Find the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Lebanon ME

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to compile all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you pick are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are prepared to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Lebanon ME.