Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? What the Research Actually Shows

Creatine is one of the most researched supplements in sports nutrition, but a single 2009 finding still follows it everywhere: a small study on rugby players linked creatine to a rise in dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone tied to male pattern baldness in genetically susceptible people. That study never actually measured hair loss, and it has never been directly replicated the same way — but the myth stuck around for over a decade. Here’s what the evidence actually shows, including a 2025 trial that finally tested hair follicle health directly.

Where the Creatine-Hair-Loss Concern Actually Comes From

The entire creatine-hair-loss claim traces back to one study: a 2009 double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, led by van der Merwe and colleagues, on 20 college-aged rugby players in South Africa. After a loading phase (roughly 25g/day for 7 days) followed by a maintenance phase (5g/day for 14 days), the creatine group’s serum DHT rose about 56% after loading and stayed roughly 40% above baseline through maintenance, while total testosterone itself did not change significantly. The DHT-to-testosterone ratio also increased. The authors’ own conclusion was narrow: creatine may increase the rate at which testosterone converts to DHT, and they called for more research into long-term safety. They did not photograph, count, or otherwise assess a single hair follicle.

Why DHT Gets Blamed for Hair Loss in the First Place

DHT is a byproduct of testosterone, converted by the enzyme 5-alpha reductase. In people who are genetically predisposed to androgenetic alopecia (pattern baldness), hair follicles on the scalp are unusually sensitive to DHT, which gradually shrinks them in a process called miniaturization — this is the same pathway drugs like finasteride target by blocking DHT production. But that sensitivity is genetic and follicle-specific: DHT itself circulating at a higher level doesn’t automatically cause hair loss in someone without that susceptibility, and the 2009 study gave no indication of whether its rugby players were even in that genetically susceptible group. A rise in a hormone associated with a condition is not the same evidence as that condition actually occurring.

The 2025 Study That Finally Tested Hair Directly

For 16 years, nobody tested creatine’s effect on actual hair outcomes — until a 2025 randomized controlled trial in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. Researchers followed 45 resistance-trained men (38 completed) for 12 weeks, comparing 5g/day of creatine monohydrate against a maltodextrin placebo. Instead of only drawing blood, they used a trichogram and FotoFinder imaging system to directly measure hair density, follicular unit count, hair thickness, and the ratio of active-growth to resting hair follicles. The result: no significant difference in DHT between groups, and — for the first time — direct evidence on the follicles themselves. The authors described their work as the first study to directly assess hair follicle health following creatine supplementation, and reported it provided evidence against the claim that creatine contributes to hair loss.

So Does Creatine Actually Cause Hair Loss?

The honest answer is that there is no direct evidence creatine causes hair loss, and the best available direct evidence (2025) points the other way. The original concern was never about hair at all — it was about a single small study showing a hormone shift in a hormone that’s associated with hair loss in genetically susceptible people, and that link had gone untested against real hair outcomes for over a decade. That’s a meaningfully different claim than “creatine causes hair loss,” and the newer trial closes much of that gap. If you’re still concerned because pattern baldness already runs in your family, that’s a reasonable individual conversation to have with a doctor or dermatologist, but it’s not a reason for most people to avoid creatine, one of the most well-studied supplements for muscle and aging on the market.

What You Can Actually Apply

• Don’t skip creatine over a myth with thin evidence behind it. The original hair-loss concern was never directly tested for 16 years, and the one trial that did test it found no significant DHT difference and no adverse follicle findings. See our roundup of the best creatine supplements for muscle and aging if you’re deciding whether to start.
• Know your family history if you’re already worried. Androgenetic alopecia is strongly genetic; if it runs in your family, that’s a more useful signal than a single hormone study from 2009.
• Stick to standard dosing. A typical 3-5g/day maintenance dose (the same range used in the 2025 trial) is what most creatine research, including its safety data, is actually built on.
• Pair it with the basics that matter more. Consistent resistance training and adequate protein intake drive far more of your muscle and aging outcomes than any single supplement — see our guide on creatine and protein for aging.

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