How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Skowhegan ME

How to Enroll In an Esthetician College near Skowhegan Maine

Skowhegan ME esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Skowhegan ME, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It’s important that the program you pick not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you might be a little bit confused about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both relate to the same kind of school. We’ll talk a little bit further concerning 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 Skowhegan home. Tuition will also be an important aspect when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it’s not always the ideal option. There are a number of other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Skowhegan ME Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human body look more beautiful through the use of cosmetics. So naturally it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are referred to as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states require that you go through some form of specialized training and then become licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Skowhegan ME beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gotten experience and a clientele, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s residence, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have 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 previously stated, in the majority of states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to become licensed in those states.

Esthetician Certificates and Degrees

Skowhegan ME esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two pathways offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon 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 ordinarily 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 offered if you want to concentrate on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a parlor or other Skowhegan ME business. More advanced 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 decide on, it’s essential to make certain that it’s approved 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 cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the following section.

Online Esthetician Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Skowhegan ME Online esthetician programs are convenient for Skowhegan ME students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed through a desktop computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same volume of material, but you’re not devoting numerous hours away from your home or travelling to and from classes. However, it’s imperative that the training program you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Classes

Skowhegan ME models benefit from esthetic treatments Following is a list of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Skowhegan home, as well as the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to pursue 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 collected some of those supplemental questions that you need to ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s essential to make sure that the esthetician college you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national agency, 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 may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 04976 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Skowhegan ME employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Skowhegan ME salon owners or managers, or any person working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Maine school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important 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 well regarded for that program. If your dream is to open a Skowhegan ME beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Choosing a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing talents on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides limited or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s essential that he or she receives support in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish help maintain relationships with Skowhegan ME businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might qualify for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you learn what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Skowhegan ME?

Perhaps you live in the Skowhegan 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.

Skowhegan, Maine

Skowhegan /skaʊˈhiːɡən/ is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine, United States.[4] Skowhegan was originally inhabited by the indigenous Abenaki people who named the area Skowhegan, meaning "watching place [for fish]."[5] The native population was massacred or driven from the area during the 4th Anglo-Abenaki War.[6] As of the 2010 census, the town population was 8,589. Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture is an internationally known residency program for artists, though it is technically located in neighboring East Madison. Every August, Skowhegan hosts the annual Skowhegan State Fair, the oldest continuous state fair in the United States.

For thousands of years prior to European settlement, this region of Maine was the territory of the Kinipekw (later known as Kennebec) Norridgewock tribe of Abenaki. The Norridgewock village was located on the land now known as Madison. The Abenaki relied on agriculture (corn, beans, and squash) for a large part of their diet, supplemented by hunting, fishing, and the gathering of wild foods. The Skowhegan Falls (which have since been replaced by the Weston Dam) descended 28 feet over a half-mile on the Kennebec River. From spring until fall the tribe fished here, where abundant salmon and other species could be caught by wading. They speared salmon and other fish in the pools beneath two waterfalls there and utilized the rich land on its banks to raise corn and other crops. This place was an important stop on their annual migrations from northern hunting grounds in winter to coastal Maine in summer. They dried fish on the Island in early summer and planted crops to be harvested on their return northward in autumn. Consequently, they named the area Skowhegan, meaning "watching place [for fish]." Early variant names include Schoogun, Squahegan, Cohegan, Cohigin, Schouhegan, Scohigin, Cohiggin, Scowhegan, Scohegan, Scunkhegon, Squhegan, Sou heagan, Sou Heavyon, etc.[5][7]

The village's Catholic mission was run by a French Jesuit priest, Father Sébastien Râle. Massachusetts governor Samuel Shute declared war on the Abenaki in 1722. On August 22, 1724, Captains Johnson Harmon, Jeremiah Moulton, and Richard Bourne (Brown) led a force of two hundred rangers to the main Abenaki village on the Kennebec River to kill Father Sébastien Râle and destroy the settlement. The Battle of Norridgewock (also known as the "Norridgewock Raid") took place on August 23, 1724. The land was being fought over by England, France and the Wabanaki Confederacy, during the colonial frontier conflict referred to as Father Rale's War. Despite being called a 'battle' by some, the raid was essentially a massacre of Indians by colonial British troops. The raid was undertaken to check Abenaki power in the region, limit Catholic proselytizing among the Abenaki (and thereby perceived French influence), and to allow the expansion of New England settlements into Abenaki territory and Acadia. Other motivations for the raid included the special ₤100 scalp bounty placed on Râle's head by the Massachusetts provincial assembly and the bounty on Abenaki scalps offered by the colony during the conflict. Most accounts record about eighty Abenaki being killed, and both English and French accounts agree that the raid was a surprise nighttime attack on a civilian target, and they both also report that many of the dead were unarmed when they were killed, and those massacred included many women and children. Lieut. Richard Jaques killed Rale in the opening moments of the battle; the soldiers obscenely mutilated Rale's body and later paraded his scalp through the streets of Boston to redeem their reward for the scalp of Rale with those of the other dead. The Boston authorities gave a reward for the scalps, and Harmon was promoted. The rangers massacred nearly two dozen women and children. The Rangers fired around the canoes filled with families. Harmon noted that at least 50 bodies went downstream before the rangers could retrieve them for their scalps. As a result of the raid, New Englanders flooded into the lower Kennebec region, establishing settlements there in the wake of the war. Two English militiamen were killed. Harmon burned the Abenaki farms, and those who had escaped were forced to abandon their village. The 150 Abenaki survivors returned to bury the dead before abandoning the area and moving northward to the Abenaki village of St Francois (Odanak, Quebec).[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Select the Right Esthetician Vocational School near Skowhegan ME

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to contrast schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions presented in this article, 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 examination, you will be confident that you are qualified to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Skowhegan ME.