How to Become an Esthetician | Esthetician Schools Gasburg VA

How to Choose an Esthetics Program near Gasburg Virginia

Gasburg VA esthetician client with cucumber facial Now that you have decided to enter the field of cosmetology and attend an esthetician school near Gasburg VA, the process starts to find and enroll in the best program. It’s important that the program you pick not only furnishes the necessary education for the specialty you have decided on, but also prepares you for passing the licensing examination. When you begin your preliminary search, you may be rather puzzled about the difference between beauty schools and cosmetology schools. Well don’t be, because the names are pretty much interchangeable and both pertain to the same kind of school. We’ll speak a little bit more about that in the next section. If you intend on commuting to classes you will need to choose a school that is within driving distance of your Gasburg home. Tuition will also be an important consideration when evaluating possible schools. Just bear in mind that because a school is the closest or the least expensive it’s not always the best choice. There are many other considerations that you should evaluate when analyzing schools, such as their reputation and accreditation. We will examine what questions you should ask regarding the cosmetology schools you are looking at later within this article. Before we do, let’s talk a little bit about what cosmetology is, and what kinds of training programs are available.

What is Cosmetology

esthetics facial toners Gasburg VA 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 regarded as beauty schools. Many of us think of makeup when we hear the term cosmetics, but really a cosmetic can be anything that improves the appearance of a person’s skin, hair or nails. If you want to work as a cosmetologist, the majority of states mandate that you take some type of specialized training and then be licensed. Once you are licensed, the work environments include not only Gasburg VA beauty salons and barber shops, but also such businesses as spas, hotels and resorts. Many cosmetologists, after they have acquired experience and a customer base, establish their own shops or salons. Others will begin servicing clients either in their own residences or will go to the client’s home, or both. Cosmetology college graduates have many professional 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 previously mentioned, in most states working cosmetologists must be licensed. In some states there is an exemption. Only those offering more skilled services, such as hairstylists, are required to be licensed. Others employed in cosmetology and less skilled, which include shampooers, are not required to be licensed in those states.

Esthetics Certificates and Degrees

Gasburg VA esthetician client with face mask There are essentially two options offered to obtain 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 normally require 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 all of the major areas of cosmetology. Shorter programs are available if you wish to concentrate on just one area, for instance esthetics. A degree program will also probably include management and marketing training in order that graduates are better prepared to run a parlor or other Gasburg VA business. More advanced degrees are not typical, but Bachelor and Master’s degree programs are offered in such specializations as salon or spa management. Whatever type of program you go with, it’s essential to make sure that it’s approved by the Virginia Board of Cosmetology. A number of states only certify schools that are accredited by certain respected organizations, for example the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS). We will cover the advantages of accreditation for the school you decide on in the next section.

Online Esthetician Training

woman attending esthetician school online in Gasburg VA Online esthetician programs are advantageous for Gasburg VA students who are working full time and have family commitments that make it difficult to attend a more traditional school. There are a large number of online cosmetology school programs offered that can be attended via a home computer or laptop at the student’s convenience. More conventional beauty schools are frequently fast paced due to the fact that many programs 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 covering the same amount of material, but you are not spending many hours away from your home or commuting back and forth from classes. On the other hand, it’s essential that the program you select can provide internship training in local 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 difficult to obtain the skills needed to work in any facet of the cosmetology profession. So don’t forget if you choose to enroll in an online school to confirm that internship training is available in your area.

Questions to Ask Esthetics Programs

Gasburg VA models benefit from esthetic treatments Below is a series of questions that you should investigate for any esthetician training program you are considering. As we have previously discussed, the location of the school relative to your Gasburg home, as well as the expense of tuition, will probably be your initial qualifiers. Whether you want to earn a certificate, diploma or a degree will probably be next on your list. But once you have narrowed your school options based on those initial qualifications, there are additional factors that you should research and take into consideration before enrolling in a cosmetology school. Below we have put together several of those supplemental questions that you should ask every school before making a final selection.

Is the School Accredited? It’s important to make sure 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 guaranteeing a superior curriculum and education. Accreditation can also be necessary for obtaining student loans or financial aid, which frequently are not offered in 23857 for non- accredited schools. It’s also a criteria for licensing in several states that the training be accredited. And as a concluding benefit, numerous Gasburg VA employers will not hire recent graduates of non-accredited schools, or may look more positively upon individuals with accredited training.

Does the School have a Good Reputation? Any esthetician college that you are seriously evaluating should have a good to excellent reputation within the field. Being accredited is a good starting point. Next, ask the schools for references from their network of businesses where they have placed their students. Check that the schools have high job placement rates, attesting that their students are highly sought after. Visit rating services for reviews together with the school’s accrediting agencies. If you have any contacts with Gasburg VA salon owners or managers, or someone working in the industry, ask them if they are acquainted with the schools you are reviewing. They might even be able to recommend others that you had not looked into. Finally, check with the Virginia school licensing authority to find out if there have been any grievances filed or if the schools are in total compliance.

What’s the School’s Focus? Some esthetician schools offer programs that are broad in nature, focusing on all areas of cosmetology. Others are more focused, offering training in a particular specialty, for example hairstyling, manicuring or electrolysis. Schools that offer degree programs commonly expand into a management and marketing curriculum. So it’s important that you enroll in a school that specializes in your area of interest. If your objective 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 dream is to open a Gasburg 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 rated school with a weak program in the specialty you are pursuing will not deliver the training you need.

Is Plenty of Hands-On Training Provided? Practicing and mastering esthetician skills and techniques demands lots of practice on volunteers. Find out how much live, hands-on training is included in the cosmetology courses you will be attending. Some schools have salons on campus that make it possible for students to practice their developing talents on real people. If a beauty program provides little or no scheduled live training, but rather relies mainly on the use of mannequins, it may not be the most effective alternative for cultivating your skills. Therefore try to find alternate schools that offer this kind of training.

Does the School have a Job Placement Program? As soon as a student graduates from an esthetician program, it’s crucial that he or she receives assistance in landing that very first job. Job placement programs are an important part of that process. Schools that offer assistance develop relationships with Gasburg VA businesses that are looking for skilled graduates available for hiring. Verify that the programs you are considering have job placement programs and ask which salons and businesses they refer students to. Additionally, find out what their job placement rates are. High rates not only affirm that they have extensive networks of employers, but that their programs are highly regarded as well.

Is Financial Assistance Available? Most esthetician schools offer financial aid or student loan assistance for their students. Ask if the schools you are considering have a financial aid department. Consult with a counselor and identify what student loans or grants you might get approved for. If the school is a member of the American Association of Cosmetology Schools (AACS), it will have scholarships offered to students as well. If a school satisfies each of your other qualifications except for expense, do not omit it as an option until you determine what financial assistance may be provided.

Attending Esthetician School Near Gasburg VA?

Perhaps you live in the Gasburg 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.

Lake Gaston

Lake Gaston is a hydroelectric reservoir in the eastern United States.[1] Part of the lake is in the North Carolina counties of Halifax, Northampton, and Warren. The part extending into Virginia lies in Brunswick and Mecklenburg counties. Lake Gaston is roughly 35 miles (56 km) long and covers over 20,000 acres (81 km2), with 350 miles (560 km) of shoreline.

The lake is not federally owned. It was formed when the Virginia Electric Power Company (VEPCO) built Gaston Dam on the Roanoke River to generate electricity for Dominion Resources, which owns the lake.[2] The dam is located on the North Carolina side and generates electricity for Dominion North Carolina Power, which is the North Carolina operating company of Dominion Resources. The dam includes four hydroelectric generators, with a total generating capacity of 224 megawatts.[3]

Lake Gaston is fed by water from Kerr Lake upstream, and supplies water to Roanoke Rapids Lake downstream, a smaller predecessor to Lake Gaston. This is one of the few areas of the country with three hydroelectric dams so close together.

Find the Right Esthetics School near Gasburg VA

Picking and enrolling in the right esthetician school is imperative to get the necessary training to become a licensed cosmetology technician. Make sure to ask all the questions that you need to in order to feel positive about your decision. Make certain to collect all of the responses you get from the beauty school admissions departments, focus on what matters the most to you, and then use that data to contrast schools. A reasonable start in your due diligence process is to make certain that the institution and program you select are accredited and have impressive reputations within the profession. If you start with that base, and address the additional questions provided in this article, you will be able to filter your list of schools so that you can make the proper selection. And when you graduate and pass your licensing exam, you will be self-assured that you are prepared to launch your new career as a professional esthetician in Gasburg VA.