If there’s anything that Justin Timberlake is known for other than his discography, it’s his curly hair.
In fact, his blonde curls are probably the first thing you’ll think of when you hear his name. It definitely helped him stand out from his boy group N-SYNC.
Indeed, JT made ringlets (and frosted tips, apparently) a trend in the 90s. Now, get ready to learn 10 unknown facts about one of Hollywood’s biggest entries in the Hair of Fame: Justin Timberlake’s ramen-looking hair!
Fact #1: Justin Timberlake’s Curls Are All-Natural
Justin Timberlake has been sporting a curly look ever since he was a kid. If you’re a 90s kid, you probably remember him from the show Mickey Mouse Club, where he starred opposite Britney Spears and Ryan Gosling. He’s the only curly-headed cutie pie in their gang!
And if you’re wondering where JT got his curls from, his mother, American actress Lynn Harless, also has naturally frizzy hair.
Fact #2: Young Timberlake Was Bullied For His Hair
Kids can be quite evil, especially if they see someone who looks ‘different’. And for little Justin Timberlake and his curly hair, he became an easy target for bullies. The kids in his neighborhood and school picked on him for having a “funny” and “weird” hairstyle.
In his 2007 Ellen DeGeneres interview, Justin reflected on his tragic past, saying:
“I was an outcast in a lot of ways. But everything that you get picked on for or you feel makes you weird is essentially what’s going to make you sexy as an adult.”
Well, now that Justin Timberlake’s reported net worth is $57million, guess who’s laughing now?
Fact #3: Justin’s Bleached Curls Lasted for 3 Years
We first got a glimpse of Justin’s frosted tips in 1998, when he was still a member of NSYNC. It was subtle then, but the pop star decided to commit to full-on blonde curls between the years 1999 and 2000.
Those days were definitely not Justin’s brightest despite the blinding yellow dye. And did no one ever think of giving the lad a mirror? Why did the hairdo last three years, anyway?
However, it must have been a blessing in disguise because it was definitely the most iconic look of Justin’s entire career. Perhaps his hairstylist was a hero after all – we just didn’t see it!
Fact #4: JT’s Ramen Hair Inspired An Artwork
In 2016, an artist by the name of Nathan Wyburn uploaded a video of him painting a portrait of Justin Timberlake. But instead of using traditional materials such as watercolor or acrylic paint, he used ramen noodles and soy sauce for his masterpiece!
It took him an entire bowl of cooked ramen noodles and around half of a soy sauce bottle. This may be the only time we can say Justin Timberlake is yummy without it sounding weird.
Fact #5: Ramen Pictures Get Into Justin’s Nerves
Fellow NSYNC ex-member Lance Bass revealed that he likes to tease Justin through their NSYNC group chat by reminding him of his ramen-noodle-hairdo in the 90s. He told US Magazine:
“I send them photos of bowls of ramen noodles a lot, just to kind of dig a little bit. It’s the only way to really get under Justin’s skin.”
We can only assume that their legendary group chat is filled with ramen noodle memes. Poor Justin!
Fact #6: Justin Timberlake Hated His Hair
Thanks to the relentless memes and childhood trauma involving his curls, Justin has grown a distaste for his frizzy locks. During a special interview for People TV, where Timberlake had to answer questions from kids, he was confronted by a fellow curly who asked for hairstyle tips. JT’s response was hilarious:
“I went through a lot of different hairstyles that I’d like to forget.”
Well, sad to say your bleached coils are forever immortalized by the meme gods on the internet.
Fact #7: NSYNC Inspired His Noodle Hairstyle
In another interview, Justin doubled down on his self-deprecating remarks about his ridiculous hairstyle. However, he gave insights as to why he did it in the first place:
“There were many moments in my teenage years where I succumbed to the weirdness of the group I was in. And in trying to conform – we were marionettes – I ended up looking like a moron.”
True enough, NSYNC did have some questionable styles during their prime. But out of all the dress-up fails, Justin’s full head of curly frosted tips was the most memorable.
Fact #8: Justin Said Bye, Bye, Bye To His Curls
Shortly after shaving his head, Justin Timberlake finally put his days of having curly locks to the past. In 2010, the new brand of JT was born.
Instead of having brown curls, Justin’s hair was long, straight, and more decently groomed compared to his younger years. Again, JT set another hair trend for the dudes: a slicked-back straight hairstyle to look fresh, slick, and pristine.
Fact #9: Justin’s Blonde Fro Inspired Other Celebrity Haircuts
Justin’s iconic look in the 90s was so influential that many famed personalities copied it! But the biggest fan must be JT’s own wife, Jessica Biel. In 2019, Jessica hilariously dressed-up as young Timberlake for a Halloween party.
She wore a wig similar to Justin’s ramen hair and even matched it with a blue jumpsuit to commemorate his NSYNC wardrobe choices.
But on a serious note, Jessica recently shared a picture of her rocking wavy locks with yellow highlights – similar to Justin’s look once upon a time. If that won’t convince you that Jessica and Justin are a match made in heaven, I don’t know what will.
Fact #10: You Can DIY Justin’s NSYNC Hairdo!
Good news to all Justin Timberlake fans out there: you make your hair look just like a ramen noodle with just a few steps!
- Spray your hair with sea salt spray to get those curls.
- Moisturize your locks with shampoo and conditioner so that it becomes bouncy and lucious.
- Dry it by using a towel, blow dryer, or by simply letting nature do the work for you.
- Buy some hair bleaching products and apply it evenly to your strands.
- Cover your bleached hair with a hair cap for around 30 minutes.
- Wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner.
Once you’ve done all the steps, voila! You’re now a time-traveling variant of Justin Timberlake!
