How to Pick the Best Esthetician Training Near Winchester Virginia

Now that you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Winchester VA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It's important that the program you choose not only furnishes the necessary instruction for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you start your initial search, you might be somewhat puzzled about the distinction between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don't be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both refer to the same type of school. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to find a school that is within driving distance of your Winchester home. Tuition will also be a critical factor when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the least expensive it's not automatically the best option. There are many other factors that you should evaluate when comparing schools, for example their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the aesthetician schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let's talk a bit about what kinds of training programs are available.

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Esthetician 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 Winchester 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 schools are convenient for Winchester VA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it challenging to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online beauty school programs offered that can be attended through a home computer or laptop at the student's convenience. More traditional cosmetology schools are typically fast paced since many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online programs, you are covering the same amount of material, but you're not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it's important that the program you choose can provide internship training in area salons and parlors to ensure that you also get the hands-on training required for a complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it's difficult to obtain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology profession. So don't forget if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetician Training Courses

Following is a series of questions that you will want to look into for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have already discussed, the location of the school relative to your Winchester home, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you wish to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have reduced your school options based on those preliminary qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and consider before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have collected some of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Esthetician Program Accredited? It's important to make sure 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). Schools accredited by the NACCAS must measure up to their high standards guaranteeing a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for getting student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered for non- accredited schools. It's also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, many Winchester VA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation?  Any esthetician college 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 endorsements from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Verify that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school's accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Winchester VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the trade, ask them if they are familiar with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. And last, check with the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty?  Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a specific specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it's important that you enroll in a school that focuses on 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 start a Winchester VA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator as well. Selecting a highly rated school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you require.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided?  Learning and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the beauty classes you will be attending. A number of schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the best alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore look for alternate schools that furnish this type of training.

Does the School Provide Job Assistance?  Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it's essential that she or he receives assistance in finding that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that furnish assistance develop relationships with Winchester VA employers that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are contemplating have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have wide 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. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Talk to a counselor and learn what student loans or grants you may get approved for. If the school belongs to the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school meets all of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an option until you determine what financial aid may be offered.

Find Out How to Become an Esthetician in Winchester

Enroll in the Right Winchester Esthetician Training

Locating and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is important to get the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require so as to feel certain about your decision. Don't forget to organize all of the responses you get from the cosmetology school admissions departments, prioritize what matters the most to you, and then employ that data to contrast schools. A sensible start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the college and program you decide on are accredited and have excellent reputations within the profession. If you start with that foundation, and answer the additional questions presented in this article, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right choice. Once you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be confident that you are qualified to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Winchester Virginia.

 

Winchester Aesthetician Schools Near Me | Winchester Esthetician Schools Near Me