Conan O'Brien reveals reason behind his new viral, slicked-back hairstyle in latest podcast

Conan O'Brien has revealed that a painful scalp burn is the reason his hair has been looking different in recent weeks.

The comedian, 63, gave the explanation during a recent episode of his Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast, revealing that he suffered the sunburn after attending the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago on June 18.

O'Brien said he remembered to put sunscreen on his face but forgot to protect his scalp.

A few days later, he said his head felt like it was "on fire" before becoming very itchy.

He also said flakes of skin started falling from his scalp, joking that it looked like "freckled confetti" and compared it to a snow globe.

"The sun went right through my hair and burned my scalp," he said.

O'Brien began rubbing oil into his scalp as a remedy, which in turn made his hair look flat and slicked back during recent podcast episodes.

Joking about his new look, he said he now looked like a 1950s greaser and compared himself to singer Frankie Valli.

In 2023, then-President Joe Biden even joked that he wished he had O'Brien's hair.