"Hair Loss from Practicing Headspin"...Concerns of Breaking Dance as an Official Sport

Asian Games Followed by Official Olympic Sport Adoption
"Protecting Hair with Hats... Request for Support in Hair Treatment"

There is growing attention to claims that breaking dance can cause hair loss. Breaking dance is also a sport selected for the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games. Some voices are calling for national support considering these side effects experienced by athletes.

According to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 13th (local time), Kantaphon Rodsaalt (stage name T-Flow), who represented Thailand in breaking dance at the last Asian Games, stated in an interview with local media, "Breaking dance athletes tend to lose hair because many techniques involve using the head, such as headspins."

He emphasized, "Government-level support is needed for this."

Korean men's national team representative Kim Hong-yeol practicing on the breaking dance stage Photo by Yonhap News

Breaking dance was officially included as a sport for the first time in this Asian Games. Sixty-six athletes from various Asian countries represented their nations and competed in dance battles. In Korea, Kim Hong-yeol (Hong10), who participated as the male national representative, won a silver medal.

Kantaphon said, "Because my hair is thin, I wear two hats while dancing to protect my hair," adding, "The rougher the floor I dance on, the more hair I lose. I would like to ask for government-level support for hair treatment and private sponsorship."

Kantaphon is not the only one raising concerns about hair loss among athletes. The British media outlet The Guardian also reported on Kantaphon's interview and shared research analyzing the correlation between headspin moves and hair loss.

According to the study published in a scientific journal last May, people who practice headspin moves more than three times a week have a significantly higher risk of hair loss compared to the control group.

Meanwhile, the breaking dance competition, which debuted at the Asian Games, has also been selected as an official sport for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Kim Hong-yeol, who won the silver medal at the Asian Games, is expected to participate as a medalist.

As public interest in breaking dance continues to grow, Kantaphon plans to intensify his campaign to support hair loss prevention for breaking dance athletes. He stated on his Facebook account, "I will keep sharing (hair protection support) until a sponsor appears."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.