Downtown Kankakee just got a new piercing studio, Gilded Flesh.

Ren Hess, who most recently pierced out of Electric Lady Lounge tattoo shop in Bradley, opened their own studio exclusively for piercing Nov. 1.

Hess aims to promote safety, consent and bodily autonomy, as well as the importance of self-expression for people of all walks of life.

Piercings are offered for children’s earlobes, and all piercing services are available to adults.

Gilded Flesh is located in the Majestic building, 150 N. Schuyler Ave., Suite 100, next to The Lush Vine and the new Essential Smoothies cafe.

Gilded Flesh takes appointments and accepts walk-ins, with hours from noon to 7 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.

Originally from Champaign, Hess moved to Kankakee County about five years ago.

Hess has been piercing for about two years, having worked locally at Roger’s Tattooing, Humble Tattoo and Piercing, The 22 Tattoo Company and Electric Lady Lounge.

In addition to the one certificate required by the state of Illinois for piercers, Hess has taken additional classes to learn more about microbiology and the piercing of specific body parts.

Gilded Flesh offers a private room for piercing and carries only implant-grade titanium and gold jewelry.

According to Hess, it is the only piercing business in Kankakee County that carries exclusively nickel-free, body-safe jewelry.

“This jewelry makes sure that everyone can get pierced,” Hess said. All jewelry carried by the shop is hand-polished and made and sourced ethically, coming from reputable American and Canadian companies.

In the back of the shop, there is professional sanitizing equipment along with an anodizer that uses electricity to make titanium jewelry any color.

Among the shop’s offerings are pieces colored to correlate with pride flags for different gender expressions and sexual orientations.

Hess also plans to begin carrying glass jewelry, which is safe to wear during MRIs, as people tend to lose their piercings when removing them for medical procedures.

Working out of tattoo shops previously, Hess never had the space for a private piercing room.

“I was kind of piercing out in the open with the tattoo artist,” they said.

While that setup wasn’t the end of the world, it can help put clients at ease to have more privacy.

Traditionally, tattoos and piercings are offered out of the same building, but they are their own entities, Hess said.

“It’s kind of like people that have a cosmetology degree – just because you can do hair and nails doesn’t mean it has to be together,” Hess said.

Hess wants the studio to be an understimulating environment that helps people feel relaxed.

“I just want to provide a safe, quality studio that’s clean and calm,” they said.

Some parents might feel uncomfortable bringing their kids into a tattoo shop to get their ears pierced.

Going to a store in a shopping mall that uses piercing guns may not be the best option for a high-quality piercing.

“I use single-use needles that make a clean incision, so that just heals a lot better,” Hess said.

Gilded Flesh occupies part of the space that was the DressWell Boutique, with Essential Smoothies occupying the other portion. DressWell relocated to 435 S. Main St., Bourbonnais.

Local artist Jessica Carter painted the exterior wall designs for both Essential Smoothies and Gilded Flesh.

Hess said they became interested in becoming a piercer after receiving a gender-affirming piercing.

“I received a gender-affirming piercing that really spoke to me very profoundly,” Hess said. “It made me feel like myself, and I couldn’t believe that just a little piece of metal could do that for someone.”

After that moment, Hess began studying piercing, taking classes and finding mentors to learn from.

“If you’re passionate enough, you will find a way to do what you want,” they said.

Piercings can help people feel more comfortable in their bodies, commemorate a change in one’s life or even serve as a rite of passage, Hess noted.

“There’s so many internal reasons people get this done,” they said. “It’s about honoring, celebrating that and having it be a fun experience.”

For information, visit gildedflesh.square.site.