How to Select the Best Esthetician College Near Alexandria Virginia

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Alexandria VA, the process begins to locate and enroll in the ideal program. It's important that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Alexandria home. Tuition will additionally be a critical consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it's not always the ideal option. There are a number of other qualifications that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of programs are available.

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Esthetics Training Requirements

Esthetics school is an investment of time, energy, and money. Requirements vary from state to state, but the majority of states require that you complete at least 600 hours of training. Full-time school can take an average of six months to complete, and part-time school can take anywhere from 9-12 months. The primary purpose of esthetics school is to get you ready to pass the state licensing exam. They also teach basic skills that you will need to perfect through experience and sometimes additional classes, such as giving facials, body treatments, and performing waxing.  More advanced training includes learning to work with machines, such as IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) and Lasers used to rejuvenate the skin and permanently remove hair.

Esthetician Job Description

Estheticians provide a wide range of beauty services to help their Alexandria Virginia clients look and feel better. This includes improving the quality of the skin (including the treatment of skin disorders), hair removal, permanent makeup application, and facial massage. Some types of estheticians, like medical estheticians, provide highly specialized procedures that require detailed training in order for it to be done safely and effectively. Medical estheticians can help individuals suffering from serious skin disorders, burns, and other trauma, and to help with pre and post-operative surgery affecting the health of their skin. Estheticians work closely with their clients in a friendly and positive manner, so an enthusiastic attitude and desire to help people is an excellent attribute for an aspiring esthetician to possess. Some of the basic duties an esthetician may perform will include such tasks as:

• Assessing a patient’s needs
• Chemical peels
• Laser treatments
• Waxing
• Facials
• Massage of the head and neck
• Microdermabrasion

Online Esthetics Training

Online esthetician schools are convenient for Alexandria VA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of web-based beauty school programs offered that can be attended by means of a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are frequently fast paced given that many programs are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or driving back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's essential that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also get the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Trade Schools

Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Alexandria residence, in addition to the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have compiled some of those additional questions that you should ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's essential to make sure that the esthetician training program 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Alexandria VA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously considering should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Alexandria VA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to propose others that you had not considered. And last, consult the Virginia 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?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you choose a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your ambition is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your vision is to open a Alexandria VA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Any Live Training Provided?  Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their growing talents on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies heavily on using mannequins, it might not be the most effective option for cultivating your skills. So search for other schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that he or she receives help in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Alexandria VA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify 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 offered to students too. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not drop it as an option before you determine what financial aid may be provided.

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Enroll in the Right Alexandria Esthetician Program

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to receive the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Make certain to compile all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A good start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Alexandria Virginia.

 

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