How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Clarksville VA

How to Pick an Esthetician College near Clarksville Virginia

Clarksville VA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Clarksville VA, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the school you select not only provides the proper training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be somewhat unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are basically interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further regarding that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Clarksville home. Tuition will also be an important factor when evaluating possible schools. Just remember that because a school is the closest or the lowest cost it’s not always the right choice. There are various other qualifications that you should evaluate when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later in this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Clarksville VA Cosmetology is a profession that is everything about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but actually a cosmetic may be almost anything that improves the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you go through some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Clarksville VA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such places as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will begin seeing customers either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates are known by many titles and are employed in a wide range of specialties including:

Estheticians
Hairdressers
Hairstylists
Beauticians
Barbers
Manicurists
Nail Technicians
Makeup Artists
Hair Coloring Specialists
Electrolysis Technicians

As already mentioned, in the majority of states practicing cosmetologists have to be licensed. In certain states there is an exception. Only those offering more skilled services, for example hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Clarksville VA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two avenues available to receive esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs typically call for 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree commonly takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also most likely incorporate management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Clarksville VA business. Higher degrees are not prevalent, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such areas as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, it’s important to make sure that it’s recognized by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Many states only certify schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will review the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the following section.

Online Esthetician Schools

woman attending esthetician school online in Clarksville VA Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Clarksville 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 cosmetology school programs offered that can be accessed through a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional cosmetology schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many courses are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a large portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you’re not spending many hours outside of your home or driving to and from classes. On the other hand, it’s important that the 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 complete education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to obtain the skills required to work in any facet of the cosmetology field. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Clarksville VA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below 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 in relation to your Clarksville residence, together with the cost of tuition, will probably be your first qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are even more factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Below we have compiled several of those supplemental questions that you need to ask every school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician college you pick is accredited. The accreditation should be by a U.S. Department of Education certified local or national organization, such as the National Accrediting Commission for Cosmetology Arts & Sciences (NACCAS). Programs accredited by the NACCAS must meet their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for acquiring student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 23927 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a final benefit, numerous Clarksville VA businesses will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Every esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of businesses where they have referred their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, indicating that their students are highly regarded. Visit rating companies for reviews as well as the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Clarksville VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They might even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any complaints submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? A number of 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 essential that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If 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 desire is to launch a Clarksville VA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not provide the training you need.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques involves lots of practice on volunteers. Check how much live, hands-on training is furnished 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 talents on real people. If a beauty school provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for acquiring your skills. Therefore look for other schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? When a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s crucial that he or she gets assistance in securing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that furnish aid maintain relationships with Clarksville VA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and establishments they refer students to. Also, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Offered? Almost all esthetician schools provide financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are looking at have a financial aid department. Consult 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 offered to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative until you determine what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Clarksville VA?

Perhaps you live in the Clarksville Virginia area, or have found a school that you will commute to or even relocate to attend. Either way, following is some interesting background information about the location of your new esthetician program.

Clarksville, Virginia

Clarksville is a town in Halifax and Mecklenburg counties in the U.S. state of Virginia, near the southern border of the commonwealth. The population was 1,139 at the 2010 census. Since the town has numerous buildings of the 18th-, 19th-, and early 20th-century architecture, the downtown area of Clarksville has been designated a Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places and Virginia's Historic Register. Clarksville claims the title of Virginia's only Lakeside town.[4] Nearby the town of Clarksville is Occoneechee State Park.

The town is located on Kerr Lake, which is also known as Buggs Island Lake. The 50,000-acre (202 km2) lake is popular for boating and fishing; especially for catfish and many varieties of freshwater bass including largemouth bass, striped bass and crappie.

The Virginia Lake Festival is held annually at Clarksville during the third weekend of July. The town often attracts approximately 80,000 visitors during this three-day event, formerly and colloquially known as "Lakefest". It culminates with a fireworks show on the lake.

Find the Right Esthetician Program near Clarksville VA

Picking and enrolling in the ideal esthetician school is important to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology professional. Be sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to consolidate all of the responses you receive from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that data to compare schools. A sensible beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make sure that the academy 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 post, you will be able to filter 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 prepared to begin your career as a professional esthetician in Clarksville VA.