How to Find the Right Esthetician Training Near Merrifield Virginia

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Merrifield VA, the task starts to search for and enroll in the ideal program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you might be somewhat confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially 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 Merrifield home. Tuition will additionally be an important consideration when evaluating potential schools. Just remember that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not automatically the ideal choice. There are various other factors that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let's discuss a 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 Merrifield 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 Esthetician Programs

Online esthetician classes are convenient for Merrifield VA students who are working full-time and have family responsibilities that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are numerous web-based beauty school programs offered that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty programs are typically fast paced because many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours away from your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it's imperative that the program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also receive the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. 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 Schools

Below is a list of questions that you need to investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Merrifield residence, as well as the cost of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 should research and consider 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 essential to make sure that the esthetician school you pick 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). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for getting student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a prerequisite for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Merrifield VA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to outstanding reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for endorsements 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 sought after. Check rating companies for reviews along with the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any contacts with Merrifield VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular 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 decide on a school that focuses on your area of interest. Since your goal 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 aspiration is to open a Merrifield 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?  Studying and refining esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that enable students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for acquiring your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's crucial that she or he receives aid in securing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid maintain relationships with Merrifield VA employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and inquire which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have broad networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available?  The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with 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 offered to students also. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an alternative before you determine what financial help may be offered.

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Enroll in the Right Merrifield Esthetician Program

Selecting and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make sure to collect all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the institution and program you choose are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Merrifield Virginia.

 

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