How to Enroll In the Best Esthetician Course Near Reston Virginia

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Reston VA, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It's essential that the program you pick not only provides the proper instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also readies you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might 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 want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Reston home. Tuition will additionally 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 ideal option. There are several other qualifications 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 thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what kinds of training programs are offered.

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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 (or aestheticians) are skin care specialists who typically work in Reston Virginia spas and salons as well as resorts and medical facilities to provide a variety of treatments for their clients. Some of the typical duties of an esthetician include performing deep skin cleansing and treatments, hair removal, and massages. Estheticians also recommend skincare treatments, products, and regimens to their clients. Many estheticians are self-employed, which allows them to set their schedules and work where they wish. However, these professionals still often need to work evenings and weekends. These skin care specialists also spend much of their time standing and may be exposed to harmful chemicals. Certified estheticians have excellent customer service and communication skills. They're adept at time management, observation and monitoring and are competent in understanding and using the tools necessary for facial procedures and extractions. Certified estheticians are familiar with medical, spreadsheets, and word processing software. They present a professional appearance and have the physical fitness to stand for prolonged periods of time. A career in esthetics generally requires working evening and weekend hours.

Online Esthetician Schools

Online esthetician classes are convenient for Reston VA students who are employed full-time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More conventional beauty schools are often fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a considerable amount of time is spent in the classroom. With internet programs, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you're not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the school you choose can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors so that you also obtain the hands-on training required for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Aesthetician Trade Schools

Below is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school relative to your Reston home, 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 even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together some of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make sure that the esthetician college you pick 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 comply with their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which typically are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Reston VA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Each esthetician school that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating services for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any relationships with Reston VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not thought of. Finally, check with the Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus?  Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating 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 broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you pick 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 respected for that program. If your desire is to start a Reston VA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Enough Hands-On Training Provided?  Practicing and mastering esthetician techniques and abilities requires plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that allow students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty school offers minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead relies predominantly on the use of mannequins, it might not be the best alternative for developing your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that she or he gets aid in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide assistance develop relationships with Reston VA businesses that are seeking qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded 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 reviewing have a financial aid department. Speak with a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you might 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 fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not discard it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be provided.

More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Reston

Enroll in the Best Reston Esthetician Course

Locating and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to get the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel certain about your decision. Be sure to collect all of the information you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that foundation, and address the additional questions provided in this post, you will be able to narrow down your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be confident that you are prepared to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Reston Virginia.

 

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