No, Alysa Liu Will Not Be Changing Her Iconic Halo Hairstyle

The gold medalist’s iconic hairdo is here to stay.

Alysa Liu will be keeping her iconic halo hairstyle for the foreseeable future. | James Lang-Imagn Images

Fans around the world will always remember Alysa Liu for her incredible gold medal winning free skate performance at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. She will also always be recognizable for her iconic halo hairstyle she rocked during the Winter Games.

The 20-year-old’s viral hairdo made her stand out on and off the ice the past couple months. But Liu almost wasn’t allowed to style her hair in the way she wanted to. In a recent interview with Nike to promote her new line with the sportswear brand, Liu admitted she learned how to say “no” in moments like when she was told to change her hairstyle when competing on the ice.

“These days, I say no to more things that I used to say yes to. I like to hear people out and I like to try new things but I trust my instincts,” Liu said. “It was a big thing that I would have to change my hair when I came back to figure skating, and I said ‘No, I won’t be changing my hair.’”

"No, I won’t be changing my hair."

Alysa Liu opens up about how she was asked to change her hair when she returned to figure skating. Her refusal to do so became one of the most powerful “no”s possible.

"These days, I say no to more things that I used to say yes to. I like to… pic.twitter.com/OEOulDjI4p

— Complex Style (@ComplexStyle) March 23, 2026

This is why fans love Liu. She stayed true to herself and held her own, and in the process, she inspired millions with the confidence and unique style she sported on the international stage at the Olympics.

Liu’s halo hairstyle originated back in January as she had St. Louis hairstylist Kelsey Miller bleach and dye her hair to symbolize tree rings. Sports Illustrated spoke with Miller about the five-hour experience she had with Liu two months ago ahead of the U.S. Championships. Opposite to Liu learning how to say no to more things in order to keep her hairstyle, Miller learned how to say yes to more opportunities as she agreed to style Liu’s hair before even knowing she’d be working with an Olympian. And now, Miller made headlines across the country and started a global hair phenomenon all because she said yes to an unknown opportunity.

“Something I’m definitely taking away, and I remind myself of this all the time, is to just say yes. Be a yes person because you never know what could happen by you just saying yes,” Miller told Sports Illustrated last month.. “Even if you don't know details or anything like that, it can definitely open some doors for you. … I said yes not knowing what I was about to get myself into and definitely my life has changed.”

Miller started getting inquiries from girls wanting to replicate Liu’s iconic hairstyle and from other hairstylists who wanted to learn how to recreate the hairdo. The halo look has taken the country by storm, that’s for sure. Liu even recently made an appearance on The Tonight Show and gifted Jimmy Fallon a wig of her hairstyle for him to wear.

It doesn’t sounds like Liu will be changing her hair anytime soon, and we may see more women sporting looks like this in the future. What an awesome impact.

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