How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Falls Church VA

How to Enroll In an Esthetics School near Falls Church Virginia

Falls Church VA esthetician client with cucumber facial Once you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Falls Church VA, the task begins to locate and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the school you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your preliminary search, you might be a little bit confused about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are essentially interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit further about that in the next section. If you anticipate commuting to classes you will need to locate a school that is within driving distance of your Falls Church home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when reviewing possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not necessarily the best option. There are a number of other considerations that you should weigh when reviewing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are considering later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Falls Church VA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the application of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that numerous cosmetology schools are regarded as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be anything that enhances the look of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, most states mandate that you go through some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work environments include not only Falls Church VA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have acquired experience and a client base, open their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates go by many names and are employed in a wide range of specializations including:

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

As formerly mentioned, in the majority of states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exception. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people employed in cosmetology and less skilled, including shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Falls Church VA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two avenues offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential after completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) program, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs normally require 12 to 18 months to finish, while an Associate’s degree ordinarily takes about 2 years. If you enroll in a certificate program you will be instructed in all of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are available if you prefer to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably incorporate management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Falls Church VA business. More advanced degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you choose, it’s important to make certain that it’s certified by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable organizations, such as the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will discuss the advantages of accreditation for the school you select in the upcoming section.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Falls Church VA Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Falls Church VA students who are employed full time and have family commitments that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty programs are often fast paced given that many programs are as brief as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours outside of your home or commuting back and forth from classes. However, it’s important that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors in order that you also obtain the hands-on training needed for a comprehensive education. Without the internship part of the training, it’s difficult to acquire the skills required to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So make sure if you decide to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Training Classes

Falls Church VA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you will want to investigate for any esthetician training school you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Falls Church home, as well as the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to pursue a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly 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 need to research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those additional questions that you need to ask each school before making a final decision.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s important to make certain that the esthetician college you select 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 comply with their high standards ensuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for securing student loans or financial aid, which often are not obtainable in 22040 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Falls Church VA employers will not employ recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more favorably upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is an excellent beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Visit rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting organizations. If you have any connections with Falls Church VA salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to suggest others that you had not looked into. Finally, consult the Virginia school licensing authority to see if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in full compliance.

What’s the School’s Specialty? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, concentrating on all facets of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs often expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you choose a school that focuses on 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 respected for that program. If your vision is to launch a Falls Church VA beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a poor program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you require.

Is Enough Live Training Provided? Learning and perfecting esthetician techniques and abilities demands plenty of practice on people. Check how much live, hands-on training is included in the beauty classes you will be attending. Some schools have salons on site that make it possible for students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty program furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead depends heavily on the use of mannequins, it may not be the best option for cultivating your skills. So look for alternate schools that offer this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s essential that he or she gets aid in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Falls Church VA businesses that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Confirm that the schools you are looking at have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. Also, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only confirm that they have wide networks of employers, but that their programs are highly respected as well.

Is Financial Aid Available? Many 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. Talk to a counselor and identify 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 accessible to students as well. If a school satisfies all of your other qualifications except for cost, do not drop it as an option before you find out what financial assistance may be available.

Attending Esthetician School Near Falls Church VA?

Perhaps you live in the Falls Church 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.

Falls Church, Virginia

Falls Church is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia.[1] As of the 2010 census, the population was 12,332.[2] The estimated population in 2015 was 13,892.[3] Falls Church is included in the Washington metropolitan area. Falls Church has the lowest level of poverty of any independent city or county in the United States.[4]

Taking its name from The Falls Church, an 18th-century Church of England (later Episcopal Church) parish, Falls Church gained township status within Fairfax County in 1875. In 1948, it was incorporated as the City of Falls Church, an independent city with county-level governance status although it is not a county.[5]

The city's corporate boundaries do not include all of the area historically known as Falls Church; these areas include portions of Seven Corners and other portions of the current Falls Church postal districts of Fairfax County, as well as the area of Arlington County known as East Falls Church, which was part of the town of Falls Church from 1875 to 1936.[6] For statistical purposes, the U.S. Department of Commerce's Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the City of Falls Church with Fairfax City and Fairfax County.

Select the Right Esthetics Training Program near Falls Church VA

Finding and enrolling in the ideal esthetician college is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel positive about your decision. Be sure to organize 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 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 excellent reputations within the field. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the right selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to launch your career as a professional esthetician in Falls Church VA.