BY JEFF CHUDZINSKI
North Country This Week

POTSDAM — A new body piercing studio has opened in the Market Square Mall and is now booking clients.

Owner Nadine Elliott, a Parishville-Hopkinton and SUNY Potsdam graduate, recently opened her new studio on April 4.

Elliott, who has been doing piercings for over two years now, got her start in the industry over a decade ago by pure happenstance.

“I went to Tattoo Paulie’s a lot and one day my mom was with me and just told him he should hire me,” Elliott said.

Despite her slight embarrassment, she said she was hired on the spot and began working in the studio soon thereafter.

“I helped with customers and did all of the small things at first, then eventually it evolved into me ordering and sourcing jewelry.”

Elliott said the further she went down the rabbit hole, the more interested she became.

“Eventually, Paul was retiring so I had the choice of either giving up my dream or opening my own space,” Elliott said.

That sink or swim attitude led to the creation of Wildflower Body Piercing.

The new space, located just down the hall from the Village Diner, is part of a newly remodeled space in the mall.

“If you walk straight ahead past the Village Diner, I’m just down the hall on the left. It’s under construction right now but if you just walk through the gate you can find me,” she said.

Elliott said she offers piercings only, focusing on high quality work and products.

All jewelry is implant grade titanium, ensuring patrons won’t have an allergic reaction.

“Some jewelry has nickel in it, which is a common allergen, so I stick with implant grade titanium. It’s of the same quality that people would receive in surgeries,” she said.

Elliott noted that the jewelry is also much harder and much more resistant to scratching and damage.

“It’s all very high quality jewelry and is bio compatible,” she said.

For those interested in booking an appointment, Elliott said she is able to accommodate within a day or so in most cases.

“I can sometimes even take an appointment the same day, I just don’t do walk-ins,” she said.

Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m.

Appointments can be scheduled by visiting wildflowerbodypiercing.com or by visiting Elliott’s Facebook and Instagram pages, listed under Wild Flower Body Piercing.