Alysa Liu Teeth: The story behind the skater’s distinctive smile
At the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Alysa Liu Teeth drew as much attention as her jumps after she finished third in the women’s short program on February 17. The 20-year-old’s frenulum piercing — the tiny silver hook that hangs over her two front teeth — has become a visible part of the Team USA skater’s on-ice identity going into the women’s free skate on February 19.
Alysa Liu Teeth: what fans are seeing
Skaters and fans have noticed a silvery flash when Liu smiles: a labial frenulum piercing that sits on the upper gum and hangs down over her front teeth. The piece is a curved silver hook with arrow-like tips that rest on her two front teeth, creating a distinct highlight whenever she beams after a clean element. Liu was part of the U. S. squad that won gold in the team event on February 8 and then took third in the short program on February 17, making the accessory visible during both podium moments.
She did it herself
Liu has said she pierced the frenulum herself. "I pierced it a little over two years ago now, " she said, and added, "Also, I did it myself. " She described the DIY process in detail: her sister held up her lip while Liu looked in the mirror, used a piercing needle and "just put it through. " Those steps — sister holding the lip, the mirror and the needle — are the concrete actions she has given when explaining how the piercing was done.
Style choices that travel onto the ice
The frenulum piercing is only one element of Liu’s look. She has fashioned horizontal blonde stripes in her hair as a personal motif, likening the pattern to tree rings: "Every year I'm gonna add a new halo around my hair, " she said, and noted that after two years she has two stripes. Her choreographer, Massimo Scali, noticed the mouth jewelry and reacted enthusiastically; the piercing even inspired him to want one of his own, underscoring how the detail fits into her broader creative presentation.
Liu’s return to competitive skating has been defined by personal terms: she decided to come back on the condition she could choose her music, take breaks and skate in a way that expresses who she is. That approach has carried her through the team gold on February 8 and the short program that left her in third place on February 17, with the women’s free skate scheduled for Thursday, February 19.
Fans and commentators will next see Liu perform in the women’s free skate on February 19, when she will try to translate her short-program position into a final result while continuing to skate with the signature smile and the small metal accent that has become part of her Olympic image.
