When Blakelee Paige Smith left the Upper Cumberland more than a decade ago, she didn’t envision a future that involved returning to open one of the region’s most advanced aesthetic clinics.
Born in Cookeville and raised in Livingston, Blakelee built her career by first receiving training in dermatology, Mohs surgery, reconstructive surgery, and cosmetic dermatology across private practices and academic centers. And, though her education took Blakelee from the UC, she felt that coming home would be the best fit both personally and professionally.
“After being away for more than ten years, I felt a very strong pull to return when my family faced a health challenge,” she shares. “It reminded me how important it is to build a life rooted in what truly matters.”
Opening Skin + Aesthetics was the natural next step for not only putting her experience to work, but for raising the standard of care in the place that shaped her as well.
A Foundation of Medicine, Not Trends
Blakelee’s background gives her a rare perspective in aesthetic medicine. She has studied skin from every angle: disease, structure, surgical repair, and cosmetic refinement.
“In general dermatology, I developed deep respect for skin health. In reconstructive surgery, I witnessed how intricate facial anatomy truly is. In cosmetic dermatology, I saw how subtle, well-executed treatments can restore confidence,” she said.
Those experiences shaped the philosophy behind Skin + Aesthetics: clinically sound, anatomically informed, and intentionally natural.
Her major in psychology at Tennessee Tech also plays an unexpected role in the practice. Long before assessing facial balance, she was trained to understand people.
“Patients do not just come in asking for a treatment,” she explains. “They come in sharing a concern, an insecurity, sometimes even a life transition. Listening is where everything begins.”
Consultations at Skin + Aesthetics are not rushed. There is no pressure for same day treatments. Instead, conversations are given space to unfold. Questions are welcomed. Patients are encouraged to go home and think before making decisions.
“Aesthetic medicine should never feel transactional or trend-driven,” Blakelee says. “Beautiful results should enhance, not alter, the person in front of me.”
Enter Heather Happy
With a foundation firmly in place, Blakelee hired licensed esthetician and Sciton Laser Trainer Heather Happy to the practice.
Before transitioning into aesthetics, Heather spent more than twenty years in medical imaging, specializing in CT, MRI, and X-ray technology. That background influences her approach.
“In imaging, I learned that explaining a procedure thoroughly leads to better outcomes,” she says. “I carry that same focus into every laser treatment.”
Heather’s personal journey also deepened her passion for the work. A skin cancer diagnosis in her early 30s changed how she views sun exposure and long-term skin health.
“It strengthened my commitment to prevention,” she shares. “I want patients to understand how to protect their skin, not just treat it.”
After reconnecting at a national conference, it became clear that Heather and Blakelee shared the same professional standards. This congruent vision for what skincare can and should be led to Heather joining Skin + Aesthetics.
“We are cut from the same cloth,” Heather says. “Education, integrity, meaningful results, those values matter deeply to both of us.”
Advanced Technology, Thoughtfully Used
Skin + Aesthetics is built around the Sciton laser platform, often described as the “Ferrari” of aesthetic devices for its precision, versatility, and safety profile.
From HALO and MOXI to BBL HEROic, ClearSilk, and ClearV, the technology allows the team to address pigmentation, redness, acne scarring, vascular concerns, and overall skin quality across a wide range of skin tones.
But devices alone are not the differentiator.
“I use a good, better, best model when creating treatment plans,” Heather explains. “Sometimes it is based on lifestyle, sometimes budget. Often, we combine treatments strategically because each technology excels in different ways.”
Blakelee is equally intentional.
“Aesthetic medicine moves quickly, especially on social media,” she says. “One of my roles is to be a steady voice. Instead of asking what is trending, we ask what will age well.”
She added, “True luxury in aesthetics is not excess, it it is discernment.”
Leadership Beyond the Clinic
Blakelee’s influence extends well beyond Cookeville. She speaks at approximately twenty national and international conferences each year, serves as co-chair of the Tennessee chapter of the American Med Spa Association, and is actively involved in multiple professional organizations.
For her, advocacy and education are about accountability.
“Aesthetic medicine is real medicine,” she says. “It requires anatomy, safety, and ethical judgment. Raising standards protects patients.”
While national stages and published research are motivators, seeing patients experience life-changing outcomes is the primary driving force behind the work of Skin + Aesthetics.
“A patient once looked in the mirror and said, ‘I feel like myself again,’”Blakelee said. “That is the goal. Not transformation. Restoration.”
Rooted in Community
At its heart, Skin + Aesthetics is relational.
Practicing in the Upper Cumberland means caring for neighbors, families she grew up with, people she knows by name.
“It is not transactional. It is personal,” Blakelee says. “This community shaped me. Serving it with excellence is deeply meaningful.”
Looking ahead, growth for Skin + Aesthetics is not about scale alone.
“My hope,” she shares, “is that we continue to be known not just for beautiful outcomes, but for trust and integrity.”
– by Chelsea Dartez, edited by Andrew Buckner, photos by Jennifer Clark
