The gradual recession seen on Derrick White hair line resembling a “skullet,” garnered significant attention from sports an social media.
As a result of the increasing scrutiny and perhaps his own personal preference, White ultimately made the bold decision to embrace the clean-shaven, bald look.
This transformation has sparked discussions about male pattern baldness, self-expression, and the evolving image of athletes in the world of professional sports.
Derrick White Hair Line
Our image below highlights Derrick’s receding hairline. The arrows highlight the exposed scalp area which has supporters asking What happened to Derrick White hair?
In Short Derrick White has a receding hairline which is male pattern baldness.
This is primarily influenced by genetics and hormones and we have seen various other NBA athletes with similar conditions for example, Trae Young Hair & Kevin Durant Hair.
Derrick White Hair Type
Derrick White hair type ranges between 3C and 4A, which can be attributed to his Afro-textured hair.
In the imagery above we can clearly see his loose S shaped curls that formed a softer afro texture.
In addition to this 3C hair is more prone to frizz, especially in hot and humid conditions which would explain his fizziness look after NBA games.
Skullet
Simply put the skullet is a combination of a bald or receding hairline at the front and long hair at the back, creating a unique and often polarizing look.
The most important thing to remember here is that a skullet is done by choice, Derricks receding hairline was not a choice but something influenced by his genetics and hormones.
It simply morphed into a style resembling the skullet, that’s how far back his receding got.
Afro Hair
From his years as a college athlete, to his draft pick up until the decision to shave his head we have seen multiple variations of his afro.
-Wild Afro / All images of Derrick’s untamed and voluminous afro mark time as there images from his days as a athlete before the NBA
-High Top Afro / During the earlier phase of his career, lets say draft time we mostly saw him sporting the high top afro look.
-Curly Afro / His curls are carefully shaped and arranged, creating a neater and more controlled appearance compared to the Wild Afro (see hair type above)
The front of his afro was protected by the use of a headband. It serves as an effective tool to cover the frontal hairline, where recession may be more noticeable.
No different to LeBron using the headband to cover his receding hairline or Trey Lance Hairto cover his thinning crown area.
Bald Shaven Look Today
Were going to take a wild guess and say social media may have influenced Derrick to make the bold move and shave it all off!
His receding hairline was constantly under scrutiny and trolling so we imagine the athlete decided enough was enough and embraced the inevitable.
Going bald can provide a streamlined and clean look that is easy to manage during their hectic schedules and physically demanding training routines as well as accepting their new reality.
Some of the greatest to ever step on the court were bald, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Kobe before his latter years, the list goes on and on.
Why do so many basketball players go bald?
It’s a valid question to ask since this seems to be common result amongst NBA athletes. Keep in mind that not all basketball players go bald, and hair loss can affect individuals from all walks of life.
We have listed 3 common factors that contribute to hair loss in both athletes and the general population:
- Genetics: We have to start the list with one the most common reason, genes. If an athlete has parents who have experienced hair loss they are more likely to experience it themselves, however its not definite.
- Stress and Lifestyle: Due to the stress and work life of an athlete stress can occur which can contribute to hair loss. Intense training, constant travel, and performance pressure can increase stress levels and in many cases that means hair loss.
- Hormonal Changes: Hormones play a massive role in hair loss in both men and women. In males especially High levels of DHT can cause hair follicles to thin out leading to hair thinning and eventual baldness.
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