Alyssa Liu’s DIY ‘Smiley’ Piercing and Style Rules: How Her Look and Choreographer Framed an Olympic Comeback

Team USA figure skater alyssa liu has been drawing attention not only for podium finishes but for distinctive personal style choices that have become part of her public story. The flash of metal visible when she smiles is a frenulum mouth piercing she placed on herself, and that DIY streak ties into broader creative and contractual terms she set when returning to the sport — a return that has already included a team gold and a third-place position after the women’s short program, with the free skate still to come.

Alyssa Liu’s DIY ‘smiley’ piercing: what it is and how she did it

The shiny element fans notice in Liu’s smile is a labial frenulum piercing — commonly called a "smiley" — positioned in the tissue connecting the upper lip to the gums, with jewelry that hangs over her front teeth. She has described doing the piercing herself, using a mirror and a piercing needle while her sister held up her lip. She has had the piercing for just over two years and has characterized the practice as a self-taught hobby she trusts, having bought proper supplies and avoided unsafe methods like pins or piercing guns.

Style as storytelling: hair rings, autonomy and the choreographer’s role

Liu’s personal style extends beyond the piercing. She has added horizontal platinum blonde stripes to her dark brown hair as symbolic rings, starting in 2023 and continuing annually. Each stripe represents a year of personal and professional growth, and she has maintained the trend across successive seasons.

That aesthetic and the sense of self it communicates are reinforced by her working relationship with her choreographer. He welcomed the piercing as part of her identity and has used choreography to help project who she is on the ice. When Liu returned to competitive skating after an earlier retirement, she did so with clear conditions designed to preserve autonomy: she can wear what she wants, skate to the music she chooses, eat what she wants and take breaks when she needs them. This approach has been described as focusing on expressing the real person rather than allowing the sport to subsume her individuality.

Competition context and what's next

Liu’s Olympic campaign has already produced a team gold, and she entered the women’s competition sitting third after the short program. The free skate remains ahead, offering another chance for an individual medal. Observers note that a top finish would continue the narrative of a comeback driven by artistic autonomy and personal style choices as much as by athletic performance.

• Piercing: frenulum (the “smiley”), self-pierced with a needle; in place just over two years.
• Hair: horizontal platinum stripes added annually beginning in 2023, each stripe marking a year.
• Return terms: freedom in wardrobe, music, diet and rest as part of her comeback approach.
• Olympic standing: team gold already secured; third place after the short program heading into the free skate.

The interplay between personal expression and competitive stakes frames Liu’s current run: the DIY piercing and hair symbolism are visible markers of a broader philosophy that her choreographer helps translate into performances. As she moves into the free skate, those stylistic choices remain part of how she tells her story on the ice. Recent updates indicate some details have evolved over time; further developments may follow as the event concludes.