In case your feed has been flooded with clips of Alysa Liu beaming on the rostrum in Milan Cortina, you might have seen one thing moreover the gold medal: a tiny flash of metallic in her smile.
That little glint? It’s referred to as a smiley piercing, and it’s change into virtually as talked-about as her historic free skate.
However earlier than you begin Googling “smiley piercing close to me,” the American Dental Affiliation (ADA) has some ideas you’ll wish to hear.
Alysa Liu Simply Had the Olympics of a Lifetime
Liu was one of many greatest names on the 2026 Winter Olympics, and her outcomes backed up the hype.
She helped Staff USA clinch gold within the workforce determine skating occasion on February 8, then adopted it up on February 19 with a person gold within the ladies’s free skate.
Determine skater Alysa Liu has already gotten a substitute gold medal simply days after by accident breaking hers on the 2026 Winter Olympics. “(It’s) a brand new one,” Liu, 20, revealed throughout a Tuesday, February 10, interview with Time beyond regulation. “I used to be simply leaping up and down, as one does to have fun, and it simply dropped. It simply (…)
That second medal was the one that basically shook the skating world. Liu grew to become the primary American girl to win a person Olympic determine skating gold in 24 years. The final? Sarah Hughes in 2002.
The Milan Cortina triumph got here almost a yr after she received gold on the 2025 World Determine Skating Championships in Boston — making her the primary American girl to take that title since 2006.
Her social media presence exploded accordingly. Liu went from 210,000 Instagram followers earlier than the Video games to 5.2 million in roughly two weeks, as of February 24.
Whenever you acquire that many eyeballs that quick, individuals discover every part. Her outfits. Her routines. And sure, her jewellery.
What Is a Smiley Piercing?
Followers have been flooding remark sections with the identical query: What’s that on Alysa Liu’s enamel?
It’s a smiley piercing — additionally referred to as a lip frenulum piercing. In line with WebMDit’s an oral piercing the place jewellery is inserted into the lip frenulum (labial frenum), the skinny flap of pores and skin connecting your lip to your gum.
The title comes from the truth that you’ll be able to solely see it when the wearer smiles.
And Liu has been smiling lots currently.
The piercing stays hidden more often than not, which is a giant a part of its enchantment. Then you definitely grin, and there’s this little metallic glint that catches everybody off guard.
It’s delicate. It’s private. And on an Olympic gold medalist waving to cameras, it’s magnetic.
Alysa Liu Pierced It Herself
Right here’s the place the story takes a flip from cute to chaotic. Liu talked concerning the piercing in an interview with TMJ4 Informationshared on YouTube Jan. 26.
“Oh, my ‘smiley,’” she stated. “I pierced it a bit of over two years in the past now.”Then got here the kicker.
“I did it myself,” she added. “I had my sister maintain up my lip, and I used to be wanting within the mirror and I had my piercing needle after which — yeah, I simply put it by means of.”
Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu made an epic comeback to Staff USA determine skating on the 2026 Winter Olympics, simply shy of 4 years after she quickly retired from the game. Alysa has been skating for many of her life, having first stepped onto the ice at age 5 on the encouragement of her father, (…)
So the Olympic gold medalist DIY’d her personal oral piercing along with her sister serving because the assistant. That sort of informal, just-went-for-it power is strictly why youthful followers have gravitated towards Liu. She’s an elite athlete who by some means additionally seems like somebody you’d hang around with.
That stated, dental professionals usually are not precisely endorsing her approach.
Picture by Dustin Satloff/Getty Pictures
Getty PicturesThe ADA Desires Followers to Pump the Brakes
With Liu now a world star and the smiley piercing trending throughout platforms, the American Dental Affiliation has a message for anybody tempted to repeat the look.
“Oral piercings or tongue splitting could look cool, however they are often harmful to your well being,” the ADA writes on its MouthHealthy web site.
“That’s as a result of your mouth comprises tens of millions of micro organism, and an infection and swelling typically happen with mouth piercings,” the ADA continues.
In line with the ADA, oral piercings can even improve the chance of broken enamel, gums or fillings, hypersensitivity to metals, nerve injury, extreme drooling and dental appointment difficulties.
Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu’s signature striped coiffure could have introduced Staff USA good luck on the 2026 Winter Video games in Milan and Cortina. Ever since Liu returned to determine skating in 2024 after a two-year retirement, she has dominated the rink whereas rocking alternating bleached and darkish brunette horizontal bands in her hair. “Each (…)
That’s a protracted record of potential issues for a piercing most individuals received’t even see except you’re mid-laugh.
“In fact the best choice is to think about eradicating mouth jewellery earlier than it causes an issue. Don’t pierce on a whim. The piercing can be an added accountability to your life, requiring fixed consideration and maintenance,” the ADA added.
What If You Already Have (or Need) an Oral Piercing?
Look, a few of you’ll get this piercing it doesn’t matter what. And a few of you have already got one. The ADA has a care information for that, too. Their suggestions:
- Maintain the piercing website clear and freed from any matter which will gather on the jewellery through the use of a mouth rinse after each meal.
- Keep away from clicking the jewellery towards enamel and keep away from stress on the piercing.
- Examine the tightness of your jewellery periodically with clear fingers to forestall swallowing or choking if it turns into unfastened.
- Take away the jewellery when participating in sports activities.
- Brush twice per day and don’t skip routine dental visits.
A smiley piercing isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it scenario. It requires actual maintenance to maintain each the piercing and your enamel in good condition.
The Takeaway for Liu Followers
Alysa Liu’s smiley piercing has change into as a lot part of her viral Olympic second as her free skate in Milan Cortina. With 5.2 million Instagram followers watching her each publish, the look is producing large curiosity — and loads of followers are overtly questioning if they need to get one too.
The enchantment is sensible: it’s a hidden little element that solely exhibits up once you smile, which makes it really feel extra private than a normal piercing. Liu’s story about doing it herself along with her sister holding up her lip solely makes it extra fascinating.
However the ADA’s message is obvious. Oral piercings carry actual well being dangers, from an infection and swelling to nerve injury and cracked enamel.
If the pattern is looking your title, go in knowledgeable — and possibly depart the DIY strategy to Olympic gold medalists.