Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? The Evidence Behind the Claim
Short answer: The widely cited claim that creatine causes hair loss comes from a single 2009 RCT in South African rugby players that showed an increase in DHT (dihydrotestosterone) after 3 weeks of creatine loading. DHT is a hormone associated with androgenetic alopecia (male pattern baldness). However: no study has ever shown creatine directly causes hair loss or accelerated baldness in humans. DHT increased but remained within normal ranges in the rugby study. If you are genetically predisposed to male pattern baldness, theoretically elevated DHT could accelerate it — but this is speculative, not demonstrated.
The rugby player study: what it actually found
The 2009 Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine study (van der Merwe et al., 20 male rugby players, 3 weeks, creatine loading then maintenance) found: DHT increased by 56% from baseline after the loading phase and remained 40% above baseline during maintenance. Total testosterone was unchanged. The DHT:testosterone ratio increased significantly. The study did not measure hair loss, hair follicle sensitivity, or androgenetic alopecia. No participants reported hair loss. The researchers concluded that creatine may be contraindicated in individuals predisposed to hair loss, but this was a speculative recommendation, not a demonstrated finding.
Why this study can’t be the final word
The rugby study has never been independently replicated. Multiple large creatine studies involving thousands of participants and long supplementation periods (up to 2 years) have not reported hair loss as an adverse effect. Creatine has been studied in 500+ clinical trials and is used by millions of people globally — if it caused meaningful hair loss, this would be a consistent finding in the adverse event data. It isn’t. The 2009 study remains an isolated finding with unclear clinical significance.
The bottom line for people worried about hair loss
If you have no family history of male pattern baldness and your hairline is stable: the evidence does not support creatine causing hair loss. If you have significant family history of MPB and an already-receding hairline: the theoretical risk that elevated DHT could accelerate genetic hair loss may be relevant to your decision. No human study has demonstrated creatine causes or accelerates hair loss. This remains a theoretical concern, not a proven effect.
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- van der Merwe J et al. (2009). Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clin J Sport Med, 19(5), 399-404. PubMed →
- Brose A et al. (2003). Creatine supplementation enhances isometric strength and body composition improvements following strength exercise training in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci, 58(1), 11-9. PubMed →
- Rawson ES & Volek JS. (2003). Effects of creatine supplementation and resistance training on muscle strength. J Strength Cond Res, 17(4), 822-31. PubMed →
