Conan O’Brien Clears Up the Mystery Behind His New Look

After Conan O’Brien‘s dramatically different hairstyle left fans puzzled this week, the comedian has finally revealed the painful reason behind the unexpected makeover.

The hairstyle first caught fans’ attention in this week’s episode of Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. Now, O’Brien says the slicked-back look wasn’t intentional.

Rather, the unexpected style change was the result of treating a severe scalp sunburn he received after spending hours outdoors at the Obama Presidential Center’s grand opening.

O’Brien is known for wearing his red hair in a signature pompadour style. The sudden appearance of the slicked-back style and the lack of acknowledgement of it during the podcast had fans buzzing across the internet.

Entertainment Weekly has shared a video clip where O’Brien explained the sudden change in hairstyle.

Before attending the Obama event in Chicago, O’Brien thought to apply sunscreen to his face but neglected to apply it to his scalp.

“It’s three hours-plus, and when it’s over, I’m so glad that I put the sunblock on, and I’m feeling really good about myself. Like, smart move,” he shared.

O’Brien’s pride soon turned to concern. Within a couple of days, “I feel like my skull is on fire.”

Soon, “My [scalp] is really itchy, and whenever I itch it, it looks like a snow globe. It looks like confetti — white freckled confetti is pouring off of my head. It’s disgusting.”

Someone told O’Brien to rub oil onto his scalp to treat the intense sunburn. O’Brien did just that, without thinking about needing to record the podcast episode that same day.

The podcast, which featured Saturday Night Live alum Molly Shannon, was pre-taped about a week after the Obama event.

While the hair issue wasn’t mentioned during the initial podcast, O’Brien is having a good chuckle now at how fans reacted. As many would anticipate, nobody can make fun of O’Brien as well as he can make fun of himself.

“I come in and I look like I’m in Sha Na Na. I’m a grease ball. I’m so greasy. I’m Frankie [Valli],” O’Brien quipped.

Naturally, O’Brien’s explanation was the catalyst for another round of fan commentary online.

On Reddit, one fan commented, “I love how this caused a controversy and it was ultimately about skin care. Peak Conan.”

Another suggested that O’Brien’s response was “The most anticipated video of the year.”

Someone else added, “Finally! The world has been collectively holding their breath for this to be addressed.”

As longtime fans know, O’Brien has never taken himself too seriously. Judging by his comical explanation, it seems he may well have enjoyed the internet’s fascination with his sudden hairstyle change almost as much as everyone else did.