How to Pick the Best Esthetician Program Near Chesapeake Virginia

Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Chesapeake VA, the process starts to search for and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you pick not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have decided on, but also preps you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be rather confused about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will want to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Chesapeake home. Tuition will likewise be an important factor when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the right choice. There are many other considerations that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask about the aesthetician schools you are looking at later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of training 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 Chesapeake 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 Classes

Online esthetician schools are advantageous for Chesapeake VA students who are working full time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be attended by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced given that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not devoting many hours outside of your home or driving back and forth from classes. However, it's vital that the training program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to acquire the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Programs

Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Chesapeake home, together with 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 reduced your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you enroll in is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education recognized local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards ensuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, many Chesapeake VA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Every esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating companies for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Chesapeake VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not considered. And last, consult the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total 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, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in 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 Chesapeake VA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Picking a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing skills on real people. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best option for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's important that he or she gets help in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help develop relationships with Chesapeake VA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are investigating have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and find out 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 also. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option before you find out what financial aid may be offered.

Learn How to Become an Aesthetician in Chesapeake

Enroll in the Best Chesapeake Esthetician Program

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician program is important to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Don't forget to collect all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the field. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, 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 examination, you will be self-assured that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Chesapeake Virginia.

 

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