The Hidden Meaning Behind Alysa Liu's Signature Hair
Even before Alysa Liu secured a gold medal in the women’s figure skating singles at the 2026 Winter Olympics, her hair was making headlines.
The 20-year-old’s bold horizontal bands of brunette and platinum blonde in her hair, along with her alternative style, tooth gems, and frenulum piercing, quickly made her a Gen Z style icon on the ice, alongside her figure skating team members, Amber Glenn and Isabeau Levito, with whom she also won gold earlier in the competition.
Not only is Liu’s hair a celebration of personal style and identity, it also has a fun meaning.
What Is The Meaning Behind Alysa Liu’s Hair?
Liu revealed that her unique hair is inspired by the rings of a tree. “I just want to be a tree,” Liu told Paralympian Haven Shepherd in a TikTok interview. “Three years ago, I put my first one and I thought ‘Oh, next year, around this time, end of December, I’ll put the second one.'”
“I originally actually wanted raccoon stripes three years ago, but I was like, ‘Too much, too long and it’s going to be hard to upkeep,’” Liu told reporters ahead of the Olympics, per USA Today. “Then I thought, I kind of want to be a tree, add a new ring every year, and so I did my second one the next year. It just grows out, and then so this year, I just did the same thing. I’m just gonna keep adding one every time.”
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Liu worked with hairstylist Kelsey Miller to brighten her halos before the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, leading to the vibrant look we know and love now. “I specialize in dimensional hair color, red heads, and extensions, so this was definitely a very unique situation for me,” Miller told Allure in early February. “We get so set in our ways and it was fun to shake it up and do something I don’t typically do.” She helped the blonde stand out more.
Adding more meaning to Liu’s hair, Miller explained, “Your hair is truly your identity.”
“It can help you with your confidence… I love to see that this is brought into the sports world because I feel like [the confidence that comes from it] only makes her a better athlete,” she said.