How to Pick the Best Aesthetician Training Program Near Oakton Virginia

Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Oakton VA, the process starts to find and enroll in the ideal program. It's imperative that the school you pick not only provides the appropriate instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your preliminary search, you may be a little bit puzzled 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 locate a school that is within driving distance of your Oakton home. Tuition will additionally be an important factor when assessing potential schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it's not always the best option. There are a number of other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of training programs are available.

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Esthetician 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 Oakton 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 Classes

Online esthetician schools are convenient for Oakton VA students who are working 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 attended through a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as short as six or eight months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same volume of material, but you are not spending numerous hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's vital that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online school to verify that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Classes

Following is a list of questions that you need to look into for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Oakton residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have collected several of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's necessary to make sure that the esthetician school you pick 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable 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 Oakton VA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. 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, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any connections with Oakton VA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the industry, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in complete 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 particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. Since your intention 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 dream is to launch a Oakton VA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator as well. Choosing a highly ranked school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not provide the training you require.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy furnishes limited or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on using mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician school, it's important that he or she receives support in finding that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer help maintain relationships with Oakton VA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Additionally, ask 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 Assistance Offered?  The majority of esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Check if the schools you are reviewing have a financial aid office. Consult with a counselor and identify 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 offered to students too. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not omit it as an option before you determine what financial help may be provided.

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Enroll in the Best Oakton Esthetician Training

Selecting and enrolling in the right esthetician college is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to so as to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to organize all of the information you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then use that data to compare schools. A good beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the school and program you select are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and answer the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. Once you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be self-assured that you are ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Oakton Virginia.

 

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