How to Find the Right Esthetician School Near Arlington Virginia

Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Arlington VA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's important that the school you choose not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be a little bit puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Arlington home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not always the right choice. There are various other qualifications that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's discuss a little bit about what kinds of programs are available.

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Esthetician Training Programs

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 Arlington 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 Courses

Online esthetician schools are convenient for Arlington VA students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty programs are often fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's vital that the program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it's impossible to acquire the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online program to verify that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Training Classes

Following is a list of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school in relation to your Arlington residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration 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 selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician college you select is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged local or national agency, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, a number of Arlington VA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably 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 profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Arlington VA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, consult the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing 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 commonly broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's essential that you select a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since 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 Arlington VA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing talents on volunteers. If a beauty program offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best option for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for other schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that she or he receives support in finding that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Arlington VA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered?  Many esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may qualify for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an option before you determine what financial assistance may be available.

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Enroll in the Right Arlington Esthetician Training

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Be sure to consolidate all of the information you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Arlington Virginia.

 

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