Inara is a registered nurse and skilled injector with more than 10 years of solid experience in the beauty biz. Her extensive knowledge of facial anatomy and rejuvenation along with her expertise in neuromodulators, fillers, chemical peels, laser treatments, body contouring, and more are such wonderful additions to Culture. Needless to say, she fits in with our team like a glove.

As a first-generation immigrant, Inara primarily grew up in Knoxville after moving here at the age of six. A church sponsorship helped pave the way for her family to emigrate from Azerbaijan, a country once part of the Soviet Union. But before becoming an honorary Knoxvillian, Inara had to get adjusted to American life along with the rest of her family, which she admits was a challenge starting out.

“I didn’t learn any English until we were here,” she said. “None of our family members did, in fact.”

Though she still speaks her native Russian fluently to this day, you won’t even detect an accent.

Growing up, Inara loved the arts, particularly dance, music, singing, and performing in general.

She graduated from Lincoln Memorial University with her associates degree, followed by her bachelor’s in nursing from King University in 2009. From there, she began her career in long-term care at a skilled nursing facility. After five years in that realm, Inara had an opportunity to foray into aesthetics when she took a job at a Hardin Valley med spa. It was there that she experienced injecting for the first time and was quickly bitten by the tox bug. But she fell in love with many other facets as well.

“Of course, I’ve done injectables, but I’ve done a lot of lasers and body contouring, too,” she said. “Every facility I’ve worked at has been a little bit different as far as what they want their injectors to focus on. My favorite is obviously injectables, but I definitely love it all because I feel like it’s important to have different facets. When patients come to you, they will point out all their concerns. Injectables won’t always be the solution, so it’s nice to have a variety of offerings.”

Inara worked in Hardin Valley for several years, further honing her skills before she and her husband moved to Denver, Colorado for a time. After about three years, they moved to Lexington, Kentucky in order to be a bit closer to family. Over the course of those few years, she continued sharpening her aesthetic skills and absorbing all that she could.

But it was when the couple became new parents of a baby girl that Lexington just didn’t cut it when it came to the desired proximity to family and the need for that support system. As fate would have it, a national aesthetics conference in Dallas would set the scene for Inara to make it back to her beloved East Tennessee. That was at the Aesthetic Next conference in 2022.

“I was actually there with my Lexington team,” she explains. “I was sitting outside with one of my girlfriends having a cocktail before a Next award show, and the Culture girls walked outside. They were taking pictures, and I asked if they’d like me to take a photo of all of them. They said ‘sure,’ so I took a photo and we started chatting. I asked them where they’re from, and when they said Knoxville, I said ‘I grew up in Knoxville. This is crazy.’ I immediately felt that these girls are just my vibe.”

The new acquaintances began following each other on social media. Fast forward to a year later when Inara was pregnant and wanting a change. She reached out to Erica Oakes, prefacing that she knew it was a long shot but would love the opportunity to work with her team. Inara had plans at that time to be back in Knoxville in about six months. Erica’s response just solidified the whole “meant to be” aspect of it all.

“Erica said, ‘That’s so funny that you said that. I was just talking about you and wondering if you were ever going to move back to the area,’” Inara explained. “They were actually looking to expand around the time we were going to be moving home. It was definitely a sign. It really was like the perfect storm. I just wanted to work here, and they wanted me to work here.”

When you find your tribe, you just know it. Inara will tell you it just felt right from the get-go.

“There’s no drama. Everyone is super uplifting and supportive,” she said. “Even in the beginning, it honestly felt like I’d been working here for years. They’ve made me feel so welcome. I feel like I can be myself, and it’s like a family here. That’s just my jam.”

Her jam also entails forming those treasured connections with her patients as well. Aesthetics is an ongoing journey, so many patients become like family along the way.

“I feel like that’s what’s so nice about this industry and what we do because we build relationships with people,” she said. “It’s not like somebody comes and sees you one time. People are coming every three to four months to see you in most cases, so you learn about their family, their kids, and you really establish relationships with people.”

We’ve all felt self-conscious about our looks at some point or another. That’s why addressing someone’s deepest concerns about their appearance can leave such a positive impact and why Inara truly delights in what she does.

“You get into the nitty gritty of the areas that bother them, what they’re self-conscious about, and what they’re going through,” she said. “So I feel like you make an impact on every client, and they make an impact on you. Everything that I do day to day is wanting to make somebody feel better about themselves. It’s the most rewarding thing. That’s honestly why I got into this industry.”

With so many options available to offer improvement and boost confidence levels, it’s difficult to nail down just one favorite treatment.

“Of course I love all toxins and fillers, but I also love laser treatments, microneedling, Morpheus8, and pretty much anything that deals with skin health.”

In her spare time, Inara loves to workout, hike, and is a self-proclaimed foodie. She and her husband Matt have two beloved dogs, but their pride and joy is their baby girl, Poppy.

Inara’s spare time is also occupied with working toward her family nurse practitioner degree from Walden University, which will help broaden her scope at Culture and allow her to incorporate more wellness services into her gamut of specialties.

Book your appointment with Inara online or call us at (865) 500-0101.