How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Great Falls VA

How to Enroll In an Esthetician College near Great Falls Virginia

Great Falls VA esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have made a decision to enter the field of cosmetology and enroll in an esthetician school near Great Falls VA, the process begins to find and enroll in the ideal program. It’s essential that the program you select not only furnishes the appropriate training for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing exam. When you begin your initial search, you may be rather unclear about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the titles are basically interchangeable and both pertain to the same type of school. We’ll discuss a bit more about that in the upcoming segment. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Great Falls residence. Tuition will likewise be a critical consideration when assessing possible schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the closest or the cheapest it’s not always the best option. There are various other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, for instance their reputation and accreditation. We will review what questions you should ask about the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of courses are available.

Defining Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Great Falls VA Cosmetology is a profession that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive with the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that many cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Most of us think of makeup when we hear the word cosmetics, but basically a cosmetic may be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, almost all states require that you take some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work settings include not only Great Falls VA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have gained experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing clients either in their own residences or will travel to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many names and work in a wide variety of specializations including:

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

As already mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those performing more skilled services, for instance hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Other people working in cosmetology and less skilled, such as shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetician Degrees

Great Falls VA esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two pathways offered to get esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can work toward an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually call for 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 each of the major areas of cosmetology. Briefer programs are offered if you wish to concentrate on just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also likely incorporate management and marketing training so that graduates are better prepared to operate a parlor or other Great Falls VA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of course you go with, it’s imperative to make certain that it’s recognized by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. Numerous states only approve schools that are accredited by certain reputable agencies, for instance the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will examine the benefits of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next segment.

Online Esthetics Courses

woman attending esthetician school online in Great Falls VA Online esthetician schools are accommodating for Great Falls VA students who are working full time and have family obligations that make it hard to attend a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be attended via a personal computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional beauty schools are frequently fast paced because many programs are as brief as six or eight months. This means that a significant amount of time is spent in the classroom. With online courses, you are dealing with the same amount of material, but you are not devoting many hours away from your home or travelling back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the training program you pick can provide internship training in nearby salons and parlors to ensure that you also obtain the hands-on training needed 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 field. So be sure if you decide to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetician Trade Schools

Great Falls VA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training program you are contemplating. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school in relation to your Great Falls residence, in addition to the price of tuition, will undoubtedly be your primary qualifiers. Whether you wish to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will undoubtedly be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology program. Following we have put together some of those additional questions that you should ask each school before making a final determination.

Is the Program Accredited? It’s essential to make certain that the esthetician school you select 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 comply with their high standards assuring a quality curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be essential for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 22066 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a requirement for licensing in some states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, a number of Great Falls VA businesses will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Great Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously considering should have a good to excellent reputation within the profession. Being accredited is a good beginning. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of employers where they have referred their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, showing that their students are highly demanded. Check rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any relationships with Great Falls VA salon owners or managers, or anyone working in the business, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are looking at. They may even be able to propose others that you had not looked into. And finally, consult the Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any complaints filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? A number of esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, providing training in a particular specialty, such as hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs typically broaden into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s imperative that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal is to be trained as an esthetician, make certain that the school you enroll in is accredited and respected for that program. If your aspiration is to launch a Great Falls VA beauty salon, then you need to enroll in a degree program that will instruct you how to be an owner/operator. Picking a highly regarded school with a weak program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you require.

Is Plenty of Live Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on people. Find out how much live, hands-on training is provided in the cosmetology courses 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 academy furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but instead relies mainly on utilizing mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. So try to find alternate schools that provide this type of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? Once a student graduates from an esthetician academy, it’s essential that he or she gets aid in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an integral part of that process. Schools that offer aid develop relationships with Great Falls VA employers that are seeking trained graduates available for hiring. Check that the schools you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and establishments they refer students to. Additionally, ask what their job placement rates are. Higher rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded 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 looking at have a financial aid department. Speak with 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 accessible to students too. If a school fulfills each of your other qualifications with the exception of cost, do not omit it as an alternative before you find out what financial aid may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Great Falls VA?

Perhaps you live in the Great Falls 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.

Great Falls, Virginia

Great Falls is located at 38°59′53″N 077°17′18″W / 38.99806°N 77.28833°W / 38.99806; -77.28833 (38.9981653, −77.2883157) at an elevation of 344 feet (105 m).[3][8] Located on Virginia State Route 7 in Northern Virginia, Great Falls is 15 miles (24 km) west-northwest of downtown Washington, D.C. and 10.5 miles (16.9 km) north of Fairfax, the county seat.[9]

Great Falls lies in the Piedmont upland on the right bank of the Potomac River.[10][11] The river forms the northern and eastern border of the CDP, and several of its tributaries flow north and east through the CDP. From north to south, these include Nichols Run, Clarks Branch, and Difficult Run. Difficult Run forms the southeastern border of the CDP. Two of its tributaries, Captain Hickory Run and Piney Run, flow southeast through the southern part of the CDP.[9][11] The Great Falls of the Potomac River, the community's namesake, are on the east side of the CDP.[11]

As a suburb of Washington, D.C., Great Falls is a part of both the Washington Metropolitan Area and the larger Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. It is bordered on all sides by other Washington suburbs, including: Darnestown and Travilah, Maryland to the north, Potomac, Maryland to the east, McLean to the southeast, Wolf Trap to the south, Reston and Dranesville to the southwest, Sterling to the west, and Lowes Island to the northwest.[12]

Choose the Right Esthetics Vocational School near Great Falls VA

Choosing and enrolling in the right esthetician school is essential to obtain the appropriate training to become a licensed cosmetology specialist. Be sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel confident about your decision. Don’t forget to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then utilize that information to compare schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the school and program you choose are accredited and have impressive reputations within the field. If you begin with that base, and address the additional questions supplied in this article, you will be able to narrow down 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 ready to begin your new career as a professional esthetician in Great Falls VA.