It’s been a few weeks since figure skater and Teen Vogue cover star Alysa Liu won gold in the free skate at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but her performance, gold dress, and halo hair are never far from our minds. The athlete, who was raised in California and took a break from skating before returning to the ice, is known for her effortless grace and her alt-girl style, with the halo hairstyle serving as a signature element of Liu’s look.

Liu used to do her hair herself, but she started working with the St. Louis-based colorist Kelsey Miller to lighten and define the color pattern even more; she wanted to go from a brassier blonde to a milk tea shade, and Miller told Allure that the process took about five hours to perfect. And given Liu’s incredible success at the Olympics, we have a feeling that the halo hair trend is about to come back in a big way.

When did the halo hair trend start?

Halo hair isn’t a new technique; it’s been around for decades and has ebbed and flowed in popularity as most hair color trends do. But Liu has brought the unique dye placement back into the spotlight in a big way, and it’s now synonymous with her. “Alysa Liu’s hair suits her so well because it feels completely unapologetic and true to who she is. In figure skating, it’s rare to see such individuality expressed through personal style, which is likely why so many people are drawn to her,” says Renée Valerie Radoiu, Vice President of R+COLOR Education & R+COLOR Collective member. “It feels refreshing. As someone who grew up figure skating, I know I would have loved having a role model like her to look up to.”

Chase Kusero, cofounder of IGK Haircare, thinks Liu’s color is right on trend, right on time. “We’re in a moment where personalization is everything,” he says. “Clients don’t just want highlights–they want intentional placement that feels expressive. It taps into the Y2K revival energy, it gives that editorial edge without committing to a full-head transformation.”

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What is halo hair?

How exactly do you create a halo in the first place? “A halo result is created by strategically placing lightener to build brightness in defined areas throughout the head,” explains Radoiu. This can be a series of stripes like Liu’s, a literal crown-like halo around the head like Rosalía, a defined stripe like the style previously worn by musician Caroline Polachek, or peekaboo roots in a contrasting color like the neon green and red styles made famous by Billie Eilish. Miley Cyrus has also experimented with the look, though she opted for platinum on top and dark layers beneath, similar to halo styles worn in the 2000s.