Alysa Liu’s Frenulum Piercing Has Fans Talking

Alysa Liu is a figure skating phenom who made history as the youngest-ever U.S. women's champion, securing a national title at just 13. Then, at 14, she managed to nab a second senior national title, being the first person in history to get two back-to-back first-place distinctions so young.

She was so accomplished so early that she decided to retire after earning a Bronze medal in the Beijing Olympics in 2022. However, she's returned for the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina and is being closely watched as a fan favorite.

As with any public figure who has a ton of eyes on them, Alysa's been the subject of close scrutiny. This includes a detail that folks have noticed about her teeth. People are wondering: What's up with what looks like metallic caps on her central incisors?

Pictures of Alysa reveal that in the middle of her top row of chompers, there are pieces of metal that hover near the top of her gumline. However, as Sporting News points out, a closer look shows that these shiny buttons aren't attached to her teeth at all, but rather her gums.

The outlet indicates that this is actually a frenulum piercing, also known as a "smiley" piercing. This procedure involves piercing the thin piece of skin gumming that attaches one's upper lips to their gums. If you stick your tongue up between the negative space above your upper row of teeth and gumline, you'll be able to feel a small strand of inner skin joining your gums with your lips.

Alysa, and others who've undergone this procedure, have a hole pierced through this portion of their body and a piece of jewelry is placed through it. Due to its placement, this piercing is only visible whenever Alysa smiles.

Furthermore, the outlet revealed that Alysa has embraced what it calls a "grunge" look and that in addition to achieving success as a figure skater, Alysa has picked up piercing. Indicating that she performed the frenulum piercing herself.

Some folks speculated that what they were seeing on Liu's face was actually braces, which isn't the case. This is probably because when she was performing at a high level during her participation in the 2022 Beijing Olympics, she did indeed have braces on her teeth.

Additionally, some folks thought her frenulum piercing was actually dental gems, which isn't the case. WebMD penned a piece on this type of body modification, where it was also referred to as a "smiley" piercing. According to the medical resource, folks who have dental sealants, braces, infected teeth, gum disease, or other issues with their mouths should avoid this modification at all costs.

Moreover, while frenulum piercings can heal rather quickly, WebMD writes that there are health risks associated with all oral piercings in general. "They're not recommended by medical and dental professionals because smiley piercing aftercare can be hard, and if not done properly, these piercings can open the door to many health risks."

Typically, folks who go for frenulum piercings pick one of three types of jewelry to go into their mouths. There are bead rings, barbell rings (which is what Liu has), and seamless rings. Stainless steel, titanium, niobium, and gold are the types of materials folks usually opt for whenever they get their frenulum pierced.

WebMD added that solid gold options are the best when it comes to avoiding any irritation or infections. Whereas gold-plated jewelry can lead to mouth disease. If you have sensitive skin or are worried about suffering from allergic reactions, you should opt for titanium, which this tattoo shop says is the "gold standard" for combating these issues.

NBC highlighted how much Liu has managed to accomplish in a relatively short amount of time. The athlete had dedicated her life to skating since the age of 5. In 2019 and 2020, she won two national figure skating championships. In 2021, she brought home the Bronze medal at the World Junior Championships. In 2022, she helped Team USA bring home a bronze medal and finished 6th overall in women's singles competition.

Her final performance in Montpelier at the figure skating world championships culminated in a bronze medal, where she briefly retired from the sport. However, in 2024, Liu announced that she would be competing once again, and in 2024–2025, she completed in the Grand Prix competition series, bringing home gold both times.

Which is why many have her pinned down for a favorite to secure a gold medal in the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.