How to Become a Licensed Esthetician in Virginia
Requirements under 18VAC41-70, the Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology’s esthetics regulations. Current as of the December 1, 2025 amendments.
The short answer: Virginia issues two esthetics licenses — esthetician and master esthetician. Each requires completing a 600-hour approved training program at a Virginia-licensed esthetics school, meeting the practical performance minimums, and passing the board-approved examination. Master esthetics is a separate 600-hour credential on top of esthetician training, not an upgrade of it.
The two license levels
Virginia regulates esthetics at two levels, and they are distinct licenses with separate training programs, separate examinations, and different scopes of practice.
An esthetician license covers facials, skin analysis, makeup, hair removal, and body treatments. A master esthetician license adds advanced modalities — microdermabrasion, dermaplaning, chemical exfoliation, light treatments, and lymphatic drainage.
Each program requires its own 600 hours. A master esthetician has completed 1,200 hours of instruction in total.
Hour requirements at a glance
| Requirement | Esthetician | Master Esthetician |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum hours of instruction | 600 | 600 |
| Minimum practical performances | 220 | 215 |
| Board-approved examination | Required | Required |
| Prerequisite | None | Esthetician training or license |
Sources: 18VAC41-70-190 (curriculum and hours), 18VAC41-70-200 (practical performances).
Esthetician curriculum: where the 600 hours go
The regulation sets minimum hours subject by subject rather than stating a single total. Those minimums add up to 600 hours.
| Subject area | Minimum hours |
|---|---|
| Orientation and business topics | 25 |
| Laws and regulations | 10 |
| General sciences | 80 |
| Applied sciences | 95 |
| Skin care | 255 |
| Makeup | 65 |
| Body and other treatments | 20 |
| Hair removal | 50 |
| Total | 600 |
Required practical performances — esthetician
| Performance | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Consultations, cleansings, and analysis of face and body | 35 |
| Manual facials and treatments | 65 |
| Machine or electrical facials and treatments | 50 |
| Body treatments and back treatments | 20 |
| Makeup | 25 |
| Hair removal | 25 |
| Total | 220 |
Master esthetician curriculum: where the 600 hours go
| Subject area | Minimum hours |
|---|---|
| Orientation, advanced business subjects, and infection control | 45 |
| State laws, rules, and regulations | 10 |
| Advanced anatomy and physiology | 65 |
| Advanced skin care and advanced modalities | 90 |
| Advanced procedures and chemical exfoliation | 270 |
| Lymphatic drainage | 120 |
| Total | 600 |
Required practical performances — master esthetician
| Performance | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Advanced treatments | 40 |
| Microdermabrasion | 50 |
| Chemical exfoliation | 75 |
| Lymphatic drainage treatments | 50 |
| Total | 215 |
Three routes to exam eligibility
Virginia recognizes three paths to sitting for the board-approved examination.
1. Training in Virginia
Complete an approved esthetics or master esthetics training program at a Virginia-licensed esthetics school. This is the most common route and the one NVLET students take.
2. Registered apprenticeship
Complete a registered apprenticeship program. Apprenticeship training is governed separately under 18VAC41-70-35.
3. Training completed outside Virginia
Training completed in another state must be substantially equivalent to the Virginia program. You submit documentation of successful completion to the board for review.
If your training is not substantially equivalent, there is a second path: submit documentation verifying three years of work experience as a licensed esthetician or master esthetician in another U.S. state or jurisdiction, on a form provided by the board.
Degrees earned outside the United States must be translated, authenticated, and evaluated by an education evaluation service. The board may decline to accept any evaluation submitted.
What the license application requires
Beyond training and the examination, every applicant must:
- Be in good standing as a licensed esthetician or master esthetician in Virginia and every other jurisdiction where licensed, certified, or registered
- Provide copies of any disciplinary action taken in any jurisdiction — including monetary penalties, fines, probation, suspensions, revocations, or a license surrendered in connection with disciplinary action
- Disclose a physical address (a P.O. box may be listed only as a secondary address)
- Sign a statement certifying they have read and understand Virginia’s esthetics license laws and regulations
- Disclose all felony convictions in any jurisdiction within 10 years of the application date
- Provide evidence of having passed the board-approved examination
The board has discretion to deny licensure to an applicant it deems unfit or unsuited to practice.
Source: 18VAC41-70-20.
Master esthetician scope of practice: chemical exfoliation limits
This is the question most often asked and most often answered vaguely. Virginia sets explicit limits on what a licensed master esthetician may use for chemical exfoliation of the epidermis:
- Jessner and Modified Jessner solution
- Trichloroacetic acid at less than 20%
- Nonprescriptive alpha hydroxy acids
- Nonprescriptive beta hydroxy acids
- Nonprescriptive, commercially available products used according to the manufacturer’s written instructions
- Vitamin-based acids
- Enzymes
- Herbal exfoliators
Licensed spas and schools are responsible for ensuring no licensee or student performs any service beyond the scope of practice for their license level.
Source: 18VAC41-70-250.
Transferring hours from another school
A Virginia-licensed esthetics school with an approved program may assess a transfer student’s competence and grant credit toward the hour and performance requirements.
The assessment is based on a review of the student’s transcript, documentation of hours and performances from the previous school, and a competency examination administered by the receiving school. Credit awarded cannot exceed the actual hours verified on the transcript, or the hours specified in the board-approved curriculum for that topic — whichever is lower.
Training at NVLET
NoVa Laser & Esthetics Training (NVLET) is a Virginia-licensed esthetics school in Stafford, licensed by the Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology, DPOR School License #1267000099.
Advanced Esthetics (Master Esthetician)
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Program length | 600 hours |
| Tuition | $10,395 |
| Books, student kit & supplies | $1,500 |
| Application fee | $100 (non-refundable, valid one year) |
| Total investment | $11,995 |
| Format | Online theory via CIMA, practical training in person in Stafford |
| Prerequisites | Completion of an accredited esthetics program or a current esthetician license, plus DPOR license requirements |
| Age | 18 or older, or parental consent |
NVLET’s Advanced curriculum follows the state’s subject minimums directly: 45 hours orientation and advanced business, 10 hours state law, 65 hours advanced anatomy and physiology, 90 hours advanced skin care and modalities, 270 hours advanced procedures and chemical exfoliation, and 120 hours lymphatic drainage.
Questions about which license fits your goals?
Call 540-720-1444, request information, or book a tour of our Stafford campus. We’ll walk you through the requirements for your situation — including how out-of-state training or transfer hours may apply.
Frequently asked questions
How many hours does esthetician school take in Virginia?
600 hours for an esthetician license. A master esthetician license requires an additional 600 hours, for 1,200 hours total.
What is the difference between an esthetician and a master esthetician in Virginia?
They are two separate licenses. An esthetician performs facials, skin analysis, makeup, hair removal, and body treatments. A master esthetician additionally performs advanced modalities including microdermabrasion, dermaplaning, chemical exfoliation, light treatments, and lymphatic drainage — each governed by defined scope-of-practice limits.
Do I need to be an esthetician before becoming a master esthetician?
You must either hold an esthetician license or be enrolled in an esthetics program before beginning master esthetics training.
Can I take esthetician school online in Virginia?
Theory coursework can be completed online, but the practical performance requirements — 220 for estheticians, 215 for master estheticians — are hands-on and completed in person at a licensed school. No Virginia esthetics license can be earned entirely online.
I trained in another state. Can I get licensed in Virginia?
Yes, through one of two routes. If your training is substantially equivalent to Virginia’s, submit documentation of completion to the board. If it is not, you can instead document three years of work experience as a licensed esthetician or master esthetician in another U.S. jurisdiction.
What chemical peels can a master esthetician perform in Virginia?
Jessner and Modified Jessner solutions, trichloroacetic acid below 20%, nonprescriptive alpha and beta hydroxy acids, vitamin-based acids, enzymes, herbal exfoliators, and nonprescriptive commercial products used per manufacturer instructions.
Can I transfer hours from another esthetics school?
Possibly. A Virginia-licensed school may assess your transcript, documented hours and performances, and administer a competency exam, then grant credit up to the hours actually verified.
Sources: Virginia Administrative Code 18VAC41-70 — §20 General requirements, §190 Curriculum and hours, §200 Practical performances, §250 Scope of practice. Regulations reflect amendments effective December 1, 2025.
This guide summarizes state regulations for general information. It is not legal advice. For questions about your specific situation, contact the Virginia Board for Barbers and Cosmetology or speak with our admissions team.