Conan O'Brien breaks silence on viral hairstyle that shocked fans

Conan O'Brien has finally revealed the surprising reason behind his viral new hairstyle, and it turns out it had nothing to do with a makeover.

The 63-year-old comedian left fans baffled after stepping out with his famous red hair slicked tightly back, sparking endless jokes across social media. 

But speaking on his Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend podcast, the TV star admitted the look was actually the result of a painful scalp sunburn.

Conan explained he suffered the burn while attending the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, saying his scalp felt like it was "on fire" before becoming unbearably itchy.

Describing the aftermath, he joked: "Whenever I itch it, it looks like a snow globe. White confetti is pouring off my head. It's disgusting."

The comic confessed he had never imagined his scalp could burn because of his thick head of hair. 

After being advised to rub oil into his scalp to help it heal, he forgot he was due to record a podcast with actress and comedian Molly Shannon.

"I came in looking like I was in Sha Na Na. I'm a greaseball. I'm Frankie Valli," he laughed, before joking that the greasy hairstyle made him feel like a 1950s street tough armed with a switchblade.

Keeping the laughs going, Conan compared himself to one of the ageing Thunderbirds from Grease, saying he was ready to cruise around in a hot rod with a bubble-gum cigarette tucked behind his ear.

He also praised Hillary Clinton for wearing what he called a "huge" hat at the event, joking she was clever enough to avoid the painful fate that caught him out.

The unusual hairstyle quickly went viral, with fans comparing him to The Sopranos characters and a used-car salesman. 

Conan happily embraced the jokes, even reposting some of the funniest reactions on Instagram.

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