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If your feed has been flooded with clips of Alysa Liu beaming on the podium in Milan Cortina, you may have noticed something besides the gold medal: a tiny flash of metal in her smile.
That little glint? It’s called a smiley piercing, and it’s become almost as talked-about as her historic free skate.
But before you start Googling “smiley piercing near me,” the American Dental Association (ADA) has some thoughts you’ll want to hear.
Alysa Liu Just Had the Olympics of a Lifetime
Liu was one of the biggest names at the 2026 Winter Olympics, and her results backed up the hype.
She helped Team USA clinch gold in the team figure skating event on February 8, then followed it up on February 19 with an individual gold in the women’s free skate.
That second medal was the one that really shook the skating world. Liu became the first American woman to win an individual Olympic figure skating gold in 24 years. The last? Sarah Hughes in 2002.
The Milan Cortina triumph came nearly a year after she won gold at the 2025 World Figure Skating Championships in Boston — making her the first American woman to take that title since 2006.
Her social media presence exploded accordingly. Liu went from 210,000 Instagram followers before the Games to 5.2 million in roughly two weeks, as of February 24.
When you gain that many eyeballs that fast, people notice everything. Her outfits. Her routines. And yes, her jewelry.
What Is a Smiley Piercing?
Fans have been flooding comment sections with the same question: What is that on Alysa Liu’s teeth?
It’s a smiley piercing — also called a lip frenulum piercing. According to WebMD, it’s an oral piercing where jewelry is inserted into the lip frenulum (labial frenum), the thin flap of skin connecting your lip to your gum.
The name comes from the fact that you can only see it when the wearer smiles.
And Liu has been smiling a lot lately.
The piercing stays hidden most of the time, which is a big part of its appeal. Then you grin, and there’s this little metallic glint that catches everyone off guard.
It’s subtle. It’s personal. And on an Olympic gold medalist waving to cameras, it’s magnetic.
Alysa Liu Pierced It Herself
Here’s where the story takes a turn from cute to chaotic. Liu talked about the piercing in an interview with TMJ4 News, shared on YouTube Jan. 26.
“Oh, my ‘smiley,’” she said. “I pierced it a little over two years ago now.”Then came the kicker.
“I did it myself,” she added. “I had my sister hold up my lip, and I was looking in the mirror and I had my piercing needle and then — yeah, I just put it through.”
Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu made an epic comeback to Team USA figure skating at the 2026 Winter Olympics, just shy of four years after she temporarily retired from the sport. Alysa has been skating for most of her life, having first stepped onto the ice at age 5 at the encouragement of her father, […]
So the Olympic gold medalist DIY’d her own oral piercing with her sister serving as the assistant. That kind of casual, just-went-for-it energy is exactly why younger fans have gravitated toward Liu. She’s an elite athlete who somehow also feels like someone you’d hang out with.
That said, dental professionals are not exactly endorsing her technique.
Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images Getty Images
The ADA Wants Fans to Pump the Brakes
With Liu now a global star and the smiley piercing trending across platforms, the American Dental Association has a message for anyone tempted to copy the look.
“Oral piercings or tongue splitting may look cool, but they can be dangerous to your health,” the ADA writes on its MouthHealthy website.
“That’s because your mouth contains millions of bacteria, and infection and swelling often occur with mouth piercings,” the ADA continues.
According to the ADA, oral piercings can also increase the risk of damaged teeth, gums or fillings, hypersensitivity to metals, nerve damage, excessive drooling and dental appointment difficulties.
Olympic gold medalist Alysa Liu’s signature striped hairstyle may have brought Team USA good luck at the 2026 Winter Games in Milan and Cortina. Ever since Liu returned to figure skating in 2024 after a two-year retirement, she has dominated the rink while rocking alternating bleached and dark brunette horizontal bands in her hair. “Every […]
That’s a long list of potential problems for a piercing most people won’t even see unless you’re mid-laugh.
“Of course the best option is to consider removing mouth jewelry before it causes a problem. Don’t pierce on a whim. The piercing will be an added responsibility to your life, requiring constant attention and upkeep,” the ADA added.
What If You Already Have (or Want) an Oral Piercing?
Look, some of you are going to get this piercing no matter what. And some of you already have one. The ADA has a care guide for that, too. Their recommendations:
- Keep the piercing site clean and free of any matter that may collect on the jewelry by using a mouth rinse after every meal.
- Avoid clicking the jewelry against teeth and avoid stress on the piercing.
- Check the tightness of your jewelry periodically with clean hands to prevent swallowing or choking if it becomes loose.
- Remove the jewelry when taking part in sports.
- Brush twice per day and don’t skip routine dental visits.
A smiley piercing isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it situation. It requires real upkeep to keep both the piercing and your teeth in good shape.
The Takeaway for Liu Fans
Alysa Liu’s smiley piercing has become as much a part of her viral Olympic moment as her free skate in Milan Cortina. With 5.2 million Instagram followers watching her every post, the look is generating massive interest — and plenty of fans are openly wondering if they should get one too.
The appeal makes sense: it’s a hidden little detail that only shows up when you smile, which makes it feel more personal than a standard piercing. Liu’s story about doing it herself with her sister holding up her lip only makes it more fascinating.
But the ADA’s message is clear. Oral piercings carry real health risks, from infection and swelling to nerve damage and cracked teeth.
If the trend is calling your name, go in informed — and maybe leave the DIY approach to Olympic gold medalists.
