How to Pick the Best Esthetician College Near Virginia Beach Virginia

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Virginia Beach VA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's imperative that the program you choose not only provides the necessary instruction for the specialty you have selected, but also preps you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat unclear about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both relate to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Virginia Beach home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it's not always the right option. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when reviewing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask regarding the aesthetician schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a little bit about what types of programs are offered.

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Esthetics Training Programs

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 Virginia Beach 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 Programs

Online esthetician classes are accommodating for Virginia Beach VA students who are working full-time and have family obligations that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a large amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. However, it's imperative that the training program you select can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it's impossible to gain the skills needed to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Trade Schools

Following is a series of questions that you need to research for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already covered, the location of the school relative to your Virginia Beach home, together with the expense of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have collected some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the Esthetician School Accredited? It's necessary to make certain that the esthetician training program you choose 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 assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not obtainable for non- accredited schools. It's also a requirement for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Virginia Beach VA businesses will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation?  Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to outstanding reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for testimonials from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews in addition to the school's accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Virginia Beach VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are considering. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not considered. And finally, contact the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in complete compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs frequently 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 sure that the school you enroll in is accredited and well regarded for that program. If your vision is to start a Virginia Beach VA beauty salon, then you need 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 poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and refining esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty lessons you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their developing skills on volunteers. If a beauty academy provides minimal or no scheduled live training, but rather depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for developing your skills. So look for alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program?  When a student graduates from an esthetician program, it's important that she or he receives assistance in landing that initial job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide assistance maintain relationships with Virginia Beach VA businesses that are looking for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and find out which salons and businesses they refer students to. Also, 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 Available?  Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Find out if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid office. Speak with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you may qualify 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 satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option until you learn what financial aid may be available.

Learn How to Become an Esthetician in Virginia Beach

Enroll in the Right Virginia Beach Esthetician Course

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician program is imperative to receive the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel confident about your decision. Don't forget to compile all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then employ that information to compare schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have outstanding reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, 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 exam, you will be self-assured that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Virginia Beach Virginia.

 

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