A breakdancer in his early 30s, with over 19 years of practice, found himself facing an unusual consequence of his passion – a large, painful bump on the top of his head. This ‘breakdance bulge,’ as doctors have dubbed it, was accompanied by a circle of hair loss. This phenomenon, known in the breakdancing community as ‘headspin hole,’ is a rarely documented condition that falls under the broader category of ‘breakdancer overuse syndrome.’
The breakdancer, who trained five times a week for 1.5 hours, reported spending 2 to 7 minutes of each session putting direct pressure on the top of his head during headspins. The bump, which had grown over five years, became tender to the touch but didn’t hinder his dancing. Doctors, upon examination, noticed the skin above the bump moved easily, suggesting a mass between the skin and the skull. This was confirmed by a scan, which also revealed that the skin above the bump and the skull below had thickened.
In a surgical procedure, doctors successfully removed the large lump of tissue and shaved down the thickened portion of the skull. The patient reported feeling happy with the outcome, saying, ‘I have received a lot of positive feedback and people say it looks well done, that I have a nice scar. Many say that they no longer notice that I have a bump and that my head looks completely normal.’
While ‘breakdance bulge’ is not well researched, existing studies suggest that breakdancers who frequently practice headspins might experience hair loss and bumps on the top of their heads. Practicing headspins three or more times a week seems to carry the highest risk of hair loss. The hair loss could be a result of physical trauma or scarring, or from traction alopecia, a condition caused by repeated pulling at the hair root.
Some reports also link headspins to lichen planopilaris, an inflammatory condition where immune cells attack hair follicles, leading to balding. This condition might not always present with a painful bump. A German study on around 100 breakdancers found that nearly 60% experienced overuse injuries on their heads, with about 31% experiencing hair loss, 24% developing painless bumps, and 37% experiencing scalp inflammation.
Despite the prevalence of these issues within the breakdancing community, information about headspin holes remains scarce. This case report serves as a pioneering documentation of a clinical instance of ‘headspin hole’ and highlights the need for further research to understand the full scope of this condition.
