Alysa Liu Explains Why Shell Have Bleached Rings in Her Hair at Winter Olympics

Alyssa Liu‘s got style both on and off the ice.

The Team USA figure skater, 20, opened up about the signature bleached stripes in her hair, and revealed that she has no intention of nixing them for the 2026 Winter Olympics when the games begin in Milan this February.

Liu explained the significance behind her unique hairstyle when speaking with media at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. When asked about whether she plans to keep the look for the Olympics, she confirmed “it’ll be the same.”

Then, Liu shared the reason why she chooses to bleach her dark brown locks in “ring” formation.

“I do this every year. I add a stripe, so it’s going to be like this for a year. Then next year wintertime, like end of December, I do another ring,” she said when speaking with NBC New Yorkwho asked about her ‘do.

Liu said her current hairstyle has been three years in the making, which explains why she has three bleached rings in her hair.

“So this one I did at the end of 2023, then did another one in 2024 and 2025,” she shared, pointing to each ring as she proudly broke it down with a smile.

Liu revealed that she doesn’t always reach for the bleach, but she wanted her rings to “be lighter” this time around.

“I usually do it like a gingery color, but I was like, ‘I want something different. I want it light’, ” she shared, adding, “And so I made it lighter and I realized the second round of bleach… it was really hard to get it lighter because my hair is so dark.”

Liu learned that she needed “salon-grade products,” so she took her hair request to a colorist instead of doing it her herself at home.

“I went to a salon in St. Louis,” she shared of the city where the 2026 U.S. Figure Skating Championships were being held, before shouting out the hairstylist who helped her out. “Kelsey! Of course I remember her name.”

“Her name is Kelsey, and she helped bleach this again,” she emphasized. “My hair is still good, and it feels really healthy. She toned it, too. She toned it perfectly, this is exactly what I wanted.”

The hairstylist, who goes by “kelsey.styles.hair” on Instagramposted a breakdown of the process on her own social media page. She also raved about Liu and how kind she was during her visit.

“What an experience to have this babe in my chair! I could have listen to her stories alllll nite. She was humble, down to earth, strong willed, hilarious, smart, compassionate! @alysaxliu you are an inspiration and I will never forget this experience,” she captioned a post with the skater.

“I hope the world never lets you down or tries to take your sparkle away from you! Rock on girlfriend can’t wait to see those halos spin on the ice tonight!” she added.

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Liu is one to watch in the 2026 Winter Olympics as a strong figure skating medal contender — a favorite to win gold! — for Team USA.

In March, Liu, then 19 years old, became the first American woman to win the World Figure Skating Championships in 19 years. The previous American winner was Kimmie Meissner in 2006, when Liu was just 1 years old.

Liu had stepped away from the sport three years prior after competing at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, where she finished 6th, and the 2022 World Championships, where she finished third. Liu announced her return to competitive skating in March 2024.

Her comeback started slowly, but she continued to build momentum throughout the season, culminating with a win in Boston. One year after stepping away from the sport, she was crowned world champion.