Intense breakdancing practice led to a dancer developing a bald, cone-shaped bulge on the top of his head — check images here

Do you know who really have a lot on their minds? Breakdancers. That’s right — these head-spinning, gravity-defying performers often carry more on their scalps than just hair.

In fact, one dancer found himself with a literal bulge on his head after years of dedicated headspin practice. This condition, known in the breakdancing world as a "headspin hole," has now spun its way into the medical literature, thanks to one unusual and eye-opening case.

What is that bulge?

In a paper a team of doctors shared the story of a man who developed what they called a "breakdance bulge" on the top of his head after nearly two decades of practicing headspins. The man, in his early 30s, had spent 19 years perfecting his head spins, dedicating about five days a week to his craft. Of each 1.5-hour session, two to seven minutes were spent directly on headspins — moves that put direct pressure on the crown of his head.

As a result, a bulbous lump of tissue had gradually formed, becoming tender to the touch and surrounded by a circular patch of hair loss. The bump, which had grown larger over the past five years, became significant enough to interfere with his daily life, prompting him to seek medical advice.
"The presence of the lesion and associated discomfort were aesthetically displeasing to the patient," the doctors reported in their case study, "but the protuberance had not hindered the patient from continuing his head-spinning activities."

Upon physical examination, doctors found that the skin covering the bump moved easily, suggesting the mass was positioned between the skin and skull. A structural scan of his head confirmed this and revealed that both the skin above and the skull below had thickened around the bump — a probable response to the repeated stress of years of headspins.

A little off the top

During surgery, doctors removed the large lump of fibrous tissue and shaved down the thickened portion of the dancer’s skull to bring it back to a normal width. The patient was pleased with the results. "I have received a lot of positive feedback, and people say it looks well done, that I have a nice scar," he shared. "Many say that they no longer notice that I have a bump and that my head looks completely normal."

Although "breakdance bulge" or "headspin hole" may sound like rare and niche afflictions, these conditions are actually well-known within the breakdancing community. However, they are scarcely documented in medical literature. The limited research that does exist hints that frequent headspins may lead to scalp issues, including hair loss and bumps.
In some cases, the physical trauma and scarring can cause traction alopecia, which happens when hair follicles are damaged due to repeated pulling at the roots. This was observed in a study from Germany that surveyed 100 breakers: around 60% reported head-related overuse injuries, with 31% experiencing hair loss and 24% developing painless bumps on their heads. Scalp inflammation was present in approximately 37% of these cases.

While headspin-induced bumps are mostly considered aesthetic issues by doctors, the risks for breakdancers may extend beyond the cosmetic. There is some evidence linking headspins to a higher likelihood of developing lichen planopilaris, an inflammatory condition in which immune cells attack hair follicles, leading to bald patches.

Nonetheless, as the dancer in this case proved, the passion for breaking can spin strong enough to overshadow the small sacrifices that come with it. For b-boys and b-girls around the world, a little "breakdance bulge" might just be another sign of a life spent defying gravity.

The findings of this research have been published in BMJ Case Reports and can be accessed here.