Alysa Liu Teeth and the story behind her 'smiley' piercing
For viewers tuning into the 2026 Winter Olympics, the phrase alysa liu teeth has become shorthand for the small flash of metal that appears when the 20-year-old smiles on the ice; it’s a frenulum piercing — the so-called "smiley" — and she says she pierced it herself.
Alysa Liu Teeth and the 'smiley' frenulum piercing
The jewelry sits in the labial frenulum, the thin strip of tissue connecting the upper lip to the gums, and hangs down over Liu’s two front teeth when she grins; one account describes it as a silver curved hook with arrow tips resting on her front two teeth. That smile accessory drew attention during the team event, where Liu helped the U. S. squad win gold on Feb. 8, and again after she skated to a standout short program on Feb. 17, finishing third heading into the free skate.
How she did it — a DIY move that stuck
Liu has been open about how the piercing happened: she said she used a mirror and a piercing needle, with her sister holding up her lip, and then "just put it through. " She also described the piercing as something she did a little over two years ago. The DIY origin is part of the image she brings to competition — an expressive, personal detail visible each time she smiles during competition or on the medal stand.
Style choices that match her skating
The frenulum piercing is one element of a broader aesthetic Liu has cultivated. She also wears horizontal blonde stripes in her hair arranged like concentric "halos, " an idea she likened to tree rings that she adds to each year; she said she originally considered raccoon stripes three years ago but decided to build the halo design instead. Those choices feed into the performance persona she emphasizes as she returned to the sport at age 20 with conditions that let her control music, wardrobe and pacing.
On the ice: placement now and the next skate
After finishing third in the women's short program on Feb. 17, Liu was set to skate the women's free program on Thursday, Feb. 19. Her short program and the team event gold on Feb. 8 have amplified interest in small visual details like the "smiley, " with her choreographer, Massimo Scali, noting that the piercing made him take notice and even inspired him to want another piercing when he first saw it.
What’s next is concrete: Liu will return to the ice for the women's free skate on Feb. 19, where judges will score her complete program and determine final placements. Until then, the discussion around alysa liu teeth has been one of the clearer ways viewers have connected to the skater beyond jumps and choreography.
