Does creatine cause hair loss?

Where the hair loss idea came from

The worry rests on a hormone called DHT, which is linked to hair loss in men. In 2009 researchers gave 20 college rugby players 25 g of creatine a day for a week, then 5 g a day for two more weeks, and found DHT rose by 56% and then sat 40% above baseline, with testosterone unchanged.²

That study did not measure hair, and the review by ISSN researchers says the finding has not been repeated. Reading a hormone change as hair loss is an inference, not a result.^2,4

One 2009 study of 20 rugby players found that DHT, a hormone linked to hair loss in men, rose 56 percent after a week of loading and stayed 40 percent above baseline after two more weeks. Testosterone did not change, hair was not measured, and the finding has not been repeated.^2,4

What the 2025 trial tested and found

The first trial built to answer the question recruited 45 resistance-trained men aged 18 to 40 and assigned them by chance to 5 g of creatine monohydrate or 5 g of maltodextrin placebo for 12 weeks. Researchers measured total testosterone, free testosterone and DHT by blood test, and hair follicle health with a trichogram and an imaging system that tracks hair density, follicular unit count and cumulative thickness.¹

Thirty-eight men finished. Testosterone moved with time in both groups, and neither group differed from the other on DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio or any hair measure. The authors read this as strong evidence against the claim that creatine contributes to hair loss.¹

In a 12-week trial of resistance-trained men, 5 g a day did not change DHT, testosterone or measured hair growth compared with placebo.¹

What the trial cannot tell us

This is one small trial, with 38 finishers, in young healthy men, over 12 weeks and at a maintenance amount. The sources checked do not report results for women, older adults, people already losing hair, loading amounts or years of use. One author is the chief executive and co-founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, and several others advise or consult for supplement companies, which is worth knowing when weighing a result that favors creatine.¹

What NIH lists as reported effects

NIH's health professional fact sheet lists weight gain from water retention, plus anecdotal nausea, diarrhea, muscle cramps, muscle stiffness and heat intolerance. Hair loss is not on that list. The sheet is a summary of supplement research, not a review of hair studies, so this is not a finding either way.³

Weight gain of about 1 to 2 kg in the first month, largely water held in muscle; it comes on faster with loading³

Who should ask their doctor

Hair loss has many causes, and the sources here cannot say what is behind any one person's. Ask your doctor about hair loss you are worried about, and about creatine if you have kidney disease, take medicines, are under 18, or are pregnant or nursing.^1,3

Questions people ask

Sources

1. Lak M, et al. Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2025;22(sup1):2495229. Opened 2026-10-01.
2. 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. Opened 2026-10-07.
3. National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. Dietary Supplements for Exercise and Athletic Performance: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Updated April 1, 2024. Opened 2026-10-06.
4. Antonio J, 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. Opened 2026-10-07.