Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? What the Evidence Says

Short answer: There is no good evidence that creatine monohydrate causes hair loss. The concern traces back to a single 2009 study that measured a hormone linked to baldness (DHT) - not hair loss itself - and that hormonal change has never been reliably reproduced. In April 2025, the first trial designed to actually measure hair found no effect on hair density, follicle count, or thickness. Here's the full picture, and what it means if you're worried about thinning.

Creatine is one of the most researched supplements on the planet, and one of the few with decades of safety data behind it. Yet a persistent rumour keeps people from trying it: the idea that creatine monohydrate will thin your hair or speed up balding. It's the single most common worry we hear at Just Creatine. So let's look at exactly where that claim came from, what the research really shows, and how seriously you should take it.

Where the "creatine causes hair loss" myth started

Almost every article you'll ever read on this topic points back to the same piece of research: a 2009 study by van der Merwe and colleagues, published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine.^[1]

The study followed 20 college-aged male rugby players over three weeks. They took a high "loading" dose of 25 g of creatine per day for the first seven days, then dropped to 5 g per day for the next 14 days. By the end, the researchers measured a noticeable shift in one hormone: dihydrotestosterone, or DHT. DHT rose by around 56% during the loading week and stayed roughly 40% above baseline through the maintenance phase.

On the surface, that sounds alarming. DHT is the hormone most associated with male and female pattern hair loss. So the logic many people ran with was simple: creatine raises DHT, DHT causes balding, therefore creatine causes balding.

But that chain of reasoning skips over the single most important detail of the study.

What the 2009 study actually measured (and what it didn't)

The 2009 study never measured hair. Not hair density, not follicle count, not thickness, not shedding. It measured hormones in the blood and nothing else. The link to hair loss was an inference - a reasonable hypothesis the authors raised - not a finding.

A few other details rarely make it into the scare headlines:

• The DHT levels stayed within the normal physiological range. They went up, but they didn't cross into abnormal territory.
• The dose was high. The 25 g/day loading protocol is four to five times the standard daily dose most people actually use (3–5 g/day).
• It has never been reliably replicated. In the 15+ years since, the overwhelming majority of studies measuring testosterone and DHT after creatine supplementation have found no meaningful change.^[3]

A single, small, unreplicated study that measured a hormone rather than the outcome everyone cares about is a very thin foundation for a health scare. But for a long time, it was the only direct evidence available - so it dominated the conversation.

A quick word on how DHT and hair loss actually work

To be fair to the concern, the biology isn't made up. DHT is produced when the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase converts testosterone into its more potent form. In people who are genetically predisposed to androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness), DHT binds to receptors in scalp hair follicles and gradually shrinks them, a process called miniaturisation. Over months and years, that can lead to visible thinning.

Two things matter here. First, this process is driven heavily by genetics - DHT only affects follicles that are genetically sensitive to it. Second, and crucially, follicle miniaturisation unfolds over months and years of sustained androgen exposure, not over a three-week supplement trial. Even if creatine did briefly nudge DHT upward during a loading phase, that short window is unlikely to be biologically meaningful for hair.

The 2025 study that finally measured hair

For 16 years, every discussion of creatine and hair loss had to rely on indirect evidence, because no one had actually looked at people's hair. That changed in April 2025.

A research team led by Lak, with well-known creatine scientists including Scott Forbes, Jose Antonio, and Grant Tinsley, published the first randomised controlled trial purpose-built to answer this exact question.^[2] It was published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.

Here's how it was run:

• 45 resistance-trained men aged 18–40 were recruited (38 completed the study).
• They took either 5 g of creatine monohydrate per day or a placebo for 12 weeks.
• Researchers measured testosterone, free testosterone, and DHT from blood samples.
• Critically, they also measured hair follicle health directly - density, follicular unit count, and cumulative thickness - using the Trichogram test and the professional FotoFinder imaging system.

The result: no significant difference between the creatine and placebo groups in DHT, in the DHT-to-testosterone ratio, or in any measure of hair. Total testosterone drifted up and free testosterone drifted down over the 12 weeks in both groups, but those changes happened regardless of whether participants took creatine or a placebo - meaning the supplement wasn't responsible.

The authors described it as the first study to directly assess hair follicle health following creatine supplementation, and concluded it provides strong evidence against the claim that creatine contributes to hair loss.

2009 vs 2025 at a glance

What the wider body of evidence says

The 2025 trial doesn't stand alone. It sits on top of a large, consistent body of research:

• The International Society of Sports Nutrition - the leading authority on sports supplementation - reviewed the evidence in its position stand and concluded creatine supplementation does not increase DHT to any clinically meaningful degree.^[4]
• A dedicated review of common creatine myths reached the same conclusion: the scientific evidence does not support the idea that creatine causes hair loss.^[3]
• Across the studies that have measured testosterone and DHT after creatine, the clear majority show no significant change at all.^[3]

In other words, the weight of evidence points firmly in one direction, and the lone 2009 outlier is exactly that - an outlier.

Should you worry if you're prone to balding?

If you already know you're genetically predisposed to pattern baldness, it's natural to be cautious. Here's the honest, evidence-based position: no study has ever shown creatine causes or accelerates hair loss, including the 2025 trial that looked specifically at hair. The only study suggesting any hormonal change used a high loading dose, found values that stayed within the normal range, and didn't measure hair at all.

Science can rarely prove a negative with 100% certainty, and the 2025 trial was conducted in healthy men without diagnosed hair-loss conditions, so more research is always welcome. But based on everything available today, there's no good reason to avoid creatine out of fear for your hairline. If you're noticing thinning, the far more likely culprits are genetics, age, stress, or other factors - and a GP or dermatologist is the right person to help you get to the bottom of it.

The bottom line

The creatine–hair loss link is one of the most over-stated worries in all of sports nutrition. It rests on a single 2009 study that measured a hormone, not hair, and that has never been reliably reproduced. The most rigorous study to date - a 12-week trial that measured hair directly - found no effect whatsoever. For the vast majority of people, creatine monohydrate is a safe, exceptionally well-studied supplement, and your hair is not on the line.

If you've been holding off on creatine because of this myth, the evidence says you can put that particular worry to rest.

Frequently asked questions

Does creatine cause hair loss?

There is no good evidence that it does. The only study suggesting a hormonal change (a 2009 trial) measured DHT, not hair, and used a high loading dose. The first trial to measure hair directly, published in 2025, found no effect on hair density, follicle count, or thickness.

Does creatine increase DHT?

A single 2009 study found a temporary rise in DHT during a high-dose loading phase, though levels stayed within the normal range. The large majority of other studies - including a 2025 randomised controlled trial - have found no significant change in DHT.

Will a loading phase make hair loss more likely?

There's no evidence it will. The 2009 study used a 25 g/day loading protocol and still only measured a within-normal hormonal shift, not hair loss. If you'd rather skip loading entirely, a steady 3–5 g per day works perfectly well - it just takes a few weeks longer to saturate your muscles.

Is creatine safe to take long term?

Yes. Creatine monohydrate is one of the most studied supplements available, with decades of research supporting its safety in healthy people at standard doses.

I'm genetically prone to baldness - can I still take creatine?

No study has shown creatine causes or worsens hair loss, even in the trial that measured hair directly. If you have concerns about thinning, speak with a GP or dermatologist, who can identify the actual cause.

References

1. van der Merwe J, Brooks NE, Myburgh KH. Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clin J Sport Med. 2009;19(5):399–404. doi:10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f
2. Lak M, Forbes SC, Ashtary-Larky D, et al. Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025;22(sup1):2495229. doi:10.1080/15502783.2025.2495229
3. Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):13. doi:10.1186/s12970-021-00412-w
4. Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have specific concerns about hair loss, consult a qualified healthcare professional.