How to Choose the Right Esthetician College 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 find and enroll in the best program. It's essential that the school you select not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have chosen, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be rather puzzled 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 intend on commuting to classes you will want to find a school that is within driving distance of your Reston home. Tuition will additionally be a critical factor when evaluating possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it's not necessarily the best choice. There are several other factors that you should weigh when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later in this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of 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 Reston 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 Courses

Online esthetician programs are convenient for Reston VA students who are employed full time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many web-based cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed via a desktop computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional beauty schools are often fast paced since many courses are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting numerous hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it's important that the training program you select can provide internship training in area salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a complete education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So don't forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Programs

Below is a series of questions that you will want to research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Reston home, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are even more factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's important to make certain that the esthetician school you enroll in 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 measure up to their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which often are not available for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Reston VA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation?  Every esthetician institute 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 referred their students. Check 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 agencies. If you have any contacts with Reston VA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the trade, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. Finally, contact the Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are expansive in nature, focusing on all areas 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 focuses on 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 aspiration is to launch a Reston 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that enable students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty academy furnishes minimal or no scheduled live training, but instead depends predominantly on using mannequins, it might not be the best option for acquiring your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's imperative that he or she gets help in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide aid maintain relationships with Reston VA employers that are searching for trained graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available?  Almost all esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Talk to a counselor and find out what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships available to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not eliminate it as an alternative before you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

More Info on How to Become an Aesthetician in Reston

Enroll in the Right Reston Esthetician Training

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician college is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you receive from the beauty 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 process is to make certain that the academy and program you pick are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, 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 ideal choice. And when you graduate and pass your licensing examination, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Reston Virginia.

 

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