Does creatine cause hair loss?

What the evidence shows

The concern originates from a hormone signal in 20 male rugby players using a loading protocol. The direct hair trial included 38 completers, only healthy young men, and disclosed supplement-industry conflicts, so its reassuring result remains preliminary.^{[1], [2]}

The concern began with a DHT study

A 2009 double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover trial enrolled 20 college-aged male rugby players.^[1]

After seven days at 25 g per day followed by 5 g per day, serum testosterone did not change, but DHT rose by about 56% and the DHT-to-testosterone ratio by about 36%.^[1]

That trial did not measure hair

The 2009 study measured circulating hormones, not hair density, follicle counts, thickness, shedding, or baldness.^[1]

DHT is biologically relevant to pattern hair loss, but a hormone change is a proposed mechanism rather than an observed hair outcome.^[1]

The direct hair trial was reassuring

A 2025 randomized controlled trial assigned 45 resistance-trained healthy men aged 18 to 40 to 5 g per day of creatine or placebo for 12 weeks.^[2]

Among 38 completers, investigators found no significant differences in DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio, hair density, follicular unit count, or cumulative hair thickness.^[2]

One negative study cannot settle the question

The direct hair trial was small, short, and limited to healthy young men. It cannot address long-term use, older adults, women, or people with a strong genetic predisposition to pattern hair loss.^{[1], [2]}

The authors also disclosed supplement-industry financial ties, which is relevant when weighing the study alongside its methods and sample size.^[2]

The two trials answer different questions

The 2009 trial found a hormone change under a loading protocol but no hair outcome. The 2025 trial directly measured hair at 5 g per day and found no effect.^{[1], [2]}

They are not direct replications, and their differing designs prevent a simple conclusion that one cancels the other.^{[1], [2]}

The honest conclusion remains uncertain

It is inaccurate to state that creatine has been shown to cause hair loss. It is also premature to guarantee that creatine can never affect hair in any person.^{[1], [2]}

The direct human evidence consists of two small trials with different aims, and larger long-term studies are still needed.^{[1], [2]}

Hair changes need a broader assessment

Hair loss has multiple possible causes, and these trials cannot diagnose the reason for an individual change.^{[1], [2]}

A person with new or progressive hair loss should not assume creatine is the cause solely from the DHT study or dismiss the concern solely from one 12-week trial.^{[1], [2]}

Read the supporting evidence summaries

The linked research pages provide study populations, formulations, doses, outcomes, and limitations in greater detail.

• Creatine and Hair Loss →
• Do You Need to Load Creatine? →

Related questions

• What creatine doses have been studied, and is loading or cycling required?
• Does creatine help women?