Alysa Liu’s Olympics win doubled as a major moment for Gen Z alt girls as she smuggled a can’t-miss mouth piercing into the most conservative sport on TV. Under global spotlights, her gold‑medal grin keeps flashing a frenulum “smiley” she pierced herself. A DIY lore now immortalized in slow‑mo replays and explainers about what’s “on her teeth.” It’s a subtle subversion, bringing an entire history of alt to the world stage: grunge studs, 2000s emo snakebites, and Y2K hardware all at once.

Call it mass indie’s nü-metal cousin — the return of piercing isn’t tied to one niche, but it is relegated to one spot: the center of the face, also known as the triangle of death. You’ll notice it in Odessa A’zion’s septum ring, Shiloh Jolie’s throwback labret, Jacob Elordi’s Saltburn eyebrow ring, and PinkPantheress, whose tiny nose ring and lo‑fi pop soundtrack Liu’s routines.

These are some of the most famous people on planet earth, but pop itself is starting to feel like a new kind of underground — a place where subcultural leftovers circulate freely, recombined on the most mainstream stages. So even as dentists and aunties scramble to Google “frenulum,” Gen Z can’t help but smile.

• Dazed gives a 25,000-year history lesson on body mods
• Allure lays out the top piercing trends of 2026
• Isamaya Ffrench’s beauty label is inspired by industrial piercings
• And don’t forget the halo hair