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Alysa Liu’s ‘Tree-Ring’ Striped Hair Takes Center Stage After Team Gold at the 2026 Olympics

The 20-year-old says the bands mark time like tree rings, adding a new stripe each year.

Overview

  • Liu won Olympic team gold in Milan and Cortina, skating for the U.S. alongside Ilia Malinin, Madison Chock, Evan Bates, Amber Glenn, Ellie Kam and Daniel O’Shea.
  • She arrived at the Games with three horizontal bleached bands, which she began in 2023 and updated in 2024 and 2025.
  • Explaining the look in a TikTok interview, Liu said, “I just wanted to be a tree,” describing the stripes as a personal timeline.
  • After initially DIY-ing the color, she enlisted St. Louis colorist Kelsey Miller for a five-hour session to achieve a lighter “milk tea” tone and refine the lines.
  • Liu’s singles events are next on the schedule, with the women’s short program on February 17 and the free skate on February 19.