How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Washington WV

How to Enroll In an Esthetics College near Washington West Virginia

Washington WV esthetician client with cucumber facial Since you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Washington WV, the task starts to locate and enroll in the right program. It’s imperative that the school you choose not only furnishes the necessary training for the specialty you have selected, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you start your initial search, you might be rather unclear about the contrast between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both refer to the same kind of school. We’ll discuss a little bit more concerning that in the following section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will want to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Washington residence. Tuition will also be a critical consideration when assessing prospective schools. Just keep in mind that because a school is the nearest or the lowest cost it’s not automatically the ideal option. There are various other factors that you should weigh when comparing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will go over what questions you should ask concerning the cosmetology schools you are thinking about later within this article. Before we do, let’s discuss a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what types of programs are offered.

Definition of Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Washington WV Cosmetology is an occupation that is all about making the human anatomy look more attractive through the use of cosmetics. So of course it makes sense that a number of cosmetology schools are described as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic may be almost anything that enhances the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states require that you undergo some kind of specialized training and then be licensed. Once licensed, the work settings include not only Washington WV beauty salons and barber shops, but also such venues as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, once they have gotten experience and a client base, launch their own shops or salons. Others will start seeing customers either in their own homes or will travel to the client’s house, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many titles and are employed in a wide variety of specialties including:

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

As previously stated, in most states working cosmetologists have to be licensed. In a few states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, such as 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.

Esthetician Degrees

Washington WV esthetician client with face mask There are primarily two options offered to obtain esthetician training and a credential upon completion. You can enroll in a certificate (or diploma) course, or you can pursue an Associate’s degree. Certificate programs usually take 12 to 18 months to complete, while an Associate’s degree usually 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 want to specialize in just one area, such as esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training to ensure that graduates are better prepared to manage a salon or other Washington WV business. Higher degrees are not common, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are available in such areas as salon or spa management. Whichever type of training program you decide on, it’s important to make certain that it’s recognized by the West Virginia Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only recognize schools that are accredited by certain highly regarded agencies, including the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you choose in the upcoming segment.

Online Esthetics Programs

woman attending esthetician school online in Washington WV Online esthetician classes are advantageous for Washington WV students who are employed full-time and have family responsibilities that make it hard to enroll in a more traditional school. There are many online beauty school programs available that can be accessed by means of a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More traditional cosmetology programs are often fast paced given that many courses are as short as 6 or 8 months. This means that a substantial portion of time is spent in the classroom. With internet courses, you are covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending numerous hours outside of your home or commuting to and from classes. However, it’s imperative that the training program you choose can provide internship training in local salons and parlors to ensure that you also receive the hands-on training necessary for a comprehensive education. Without the internship portion of the training, it’s impossible to gain the skills necessary to work in any area of the cosmetology industry. So be sure if you choose to enroll in an online program to confirm that internship training is provided in your area.

What to Ask Esthetics Degree Programs

Washington WV models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you should research for any esthetician training school you are contemplating. As we have previously covered, the location of the school in relation to your Washington home, together with the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you would like to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will no doubt be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school choices based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you must research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Following we have compiled some of those supplemental questions that you should ask each school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s necessary to make certain that the esthetician college you pick 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 assuring a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation may also be important for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which typically are not offered in 26181 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a prerequisite for licensing in many states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Washington WV employers will not recruit recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or might look more positively upon those with accredited training.

Does the School have an Excellent Reputation? Any esthetician institute that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to exceptional reputation within the industry. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for endorsements from their network of employers where they have placed their students. Confirm that the schools have high job placement rates, signifying that their students are highly sought after. Check rating services for reviews along with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Washington WV salon owners or managers, or any person working in the field, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They may even be able to recommend others that you had not thought of. And finally, consult the West Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances submitted or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Many esthetician schools offer programs that are comprehensive in nature, concentrating on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for instance hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you choose a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your goal 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 open a Washington WV beauty salon, then you want to enroll in a degree program that will teach you how to be an owner/operator. Selecting a highly ranked school with a poor program in the specialty you are seeking will not deliver the training you need.

Is Any Hands-On Training Provided? Studying and perfecting esthetician skills and techniques involves plenty of practice on volunteers. Ask how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology lessons you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that allow students to practice their growing skills on volunteers. If a beauty school furnishes little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies predominantly on utilizing mannequins, it might not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore search for other schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician school, it’s important that he or she receives assistance in landing that first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that provide help maintain relationships with Washington WV businesses that are searching for qualified graduates available for hiring. Check that the programs you are contemplating have job placement programs and find out which salons and organizations they refer students to. In addition, ask what their job placement rates are. High rates not only verify that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Aid Offered? The majority of esthetician schools offer 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 find out 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 also. If a school meets each of your other qualifications with the exception of expense, do not eliminate it as an alternative until you find out what financial aid may be offered.

Attending Esthetician School Near Washington WV?

Perhaps you live in the Washington West 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.

Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area

The Baltimore–Washington metropolitan area is a combined statistical area consisting of the overlapping labor market region of the cities of Washington, D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland. The region includes Central Maryland, Northern Virginia, three counties in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia, and one county in South Central Pennsylvania. It is the most educated, highest-income, and fourth largest combined statistical area in the United States.[1][2]

Officially, the area is designated by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) as the Washington–Baltimore–Arlington, DC–MD–VA–WV–PA Combined Statistical Area. It is composed primarily of two major metropolitan statistical areas (MSA), the Washington–Arlington–Alexandria, DC–VA–MD–WV MSA and the Baltimore–Columbia–Towson, MD MSA. In addition, six other smaller urban areas not contiguous to the main urban area but having strong commuting ties with the main area are also included in the metropolitan area.[3] These are: the Hagerstown–Martinsburg, MD–WV MSA, the Chambersburg–Waynesboro, PA MSA, the Winchester, VA–WV MSA, the California–Lexington Park, MD MSA, the Easton, MD micropolitan statistical area (µSA), and the Cambridge, MD µSA.

Some counties such as Caroline and King George County, Virginia are not officially designated by the OMB as members of this metropolitan area, but still consider themselves members anyway.[4][5][6][7][8] This is mostly due to their proximity to the area, the size of their commuter population, and by the influence of local broadcasting stations. The population of the entire Washington-Baltimore Combined Statistical Area as of the Census Bureau's 2012 Population Estimates is 9,331,587.[9][10][11][12][13][14][15] The most populous city is Washington, DC, with a population of 681,170.[16] The most populous county is Fairfax County, Virginia, with a population exceeding 1.1 million.

Find the Right Esthetics Training Program near Washington WV

Finding and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to obtain the proper training to become a licensed cosmetology practitioner. Make sure to ask all the questions that you require in order to feel certain about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the responses you receive from the cosmetology school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that information to contrast schools. A reasonable beginning in your due diligence procedure is to make certain that the college and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you begin with that base, and answer the additional questions presented in this post, you will be able to reduce your list of schools so that you can make the ideal selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing test, you will be confident that you are ready to start your new career as a professional esthetician in Washington WV.