Alysa Liu’s Smiley Piercing Is Everywhere. Here’s Why We Don’t Do Them at Cherry Bomb.
If you’ve been seeing people talk about Alysa Liu’s smiley piercing, that’s because her look, and especially her piercing, got a ton of attention during the 2026 Winter Olympics. Basically, a smiley piercing is an upper lip frenulum piercing, meaning it goes through the thin piece of tissue connecting your upper lip to your gums and the piercing usually only shows when you smile.
And yeah, we get why people are asking about it. It’s cute, unique, and it’s subtle.
But at Cherry Bomb Studio, even though we stan Alysa, we do not perform smiley piercings
Why? Because the risks are, unfortunately, not as cute.
Essentially, a smiley piercing sits in a spot where jewelry can and generally does constantly rub against your teeth and gums. With this type of oral piercing, that means a high potential for gum damage, enamel wear, chipped teeth, irritation, and longer term dental problems. The Association of Professional Piercers specifically warns that oral jewelry can cause tooth and gum damage, and dentists also note ongoing risks to both teeth and gum tissue from mouth jewelry.
The other issue is that the tissue being pierced is highly mobile and delicate. That means smiley piercings are prone to rejection, and not everyone even has anatomy that can support one in the first place.
Basically, just because something is trendy doesn’t mean it’s a good piercing.
At Cherry Bomb, we are not interested in offering piercings that look good in the short term, but can leave you dealing with some serious damage to your mouth later. Our job isn’t just to give you something that looks good on Insta, it’s our job is to pierce responsibly.
So if you found this because you saw Alysa Liu’s smiley piercing and wanted one of your own, now you know why our answer is no.
If you want something small, flashy, or a little unexpected, we’re happy to help you choose a piercing that’s better suited for long term wear and less likely to mess with your teeth and gums.
We’re always happy to suggest alternatives, but this is one we pass on.
Why Cherry Bomb Does Not Offer Smiley Piercings
High risk of gum recession
High risk of enamel and tooth damage
Prone to migration and rejection
The long term risk just isn’t worth it