While every other state in the Union has already gotten there, it won’t be until July that Virginia will require estheticians to have a license to practice. Not that most of the state’s estheticians haven’t gone through hundreds of hours of classes and lab work to get to their current posts. Schools still require 600 hours for a basic license (waxing, facials, tinting and lash work, makeup, wraps, masks, scrubs and steams) and another 600 for the Master’s level certification (in-depth training on microdermabrasion and other specialties). Come summer, however, estheticians will have to meet the testing requirements of the state board, too.
Come July estheticians will need a license to practice and clients will have a state body to complain to when they get red in the face.
|
What does that mean for you? Most importantly, it means that should you get a zebra-striped face or an infected pinky toenail, you can direct your complaint to the Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (www.dpor.virginia.gov). Not that you should fall down on your own detective work just because the state is finally stepping in. “A certified esthetician should examine the skin carefully, looking at [problem areas] and skin type, then treat it with the proper methods and specialized equipment,” says Suzanne Stacey at City Spa. “You don’t want to spend $65 for someone to put product on your face and take it off again—you can do that in your bathroom.”—K.C.
