Does creatine cause hair loss? It is one of the most-searched supplement questions, and this week it is louder than usual. Hair loss is the biggest health topic on X, with 637 posts on October 21, about 55% above the October 16 to 19 average, after news about an experimental hair-loss pill. Creatine is trending too: X posts are up 11%, and Dr. Berg's 30-day creatine video has passed 2.1 million views. Plenty of new creatine users are asking the same thing: will it cost me my hair?
AJTV is an independent fan-affiliate guide. This is general information, not medical advice. It does not suggest any supplement can prevent, treat, or cure any disease, and gives no dosage recommendations; any amounts below describe published study protocols. If you are worried about your hair, ask a doctor or dermatologist.
Key takeaways
- The worry traces mainly to one small 2009 study of 20 rugby players. It measured a blood hormone called DHT, not hair.
- That result has not been replicated. A 2021 expert review concluded the evidence does not show creatine raises DHT or causes hair loss.
- A 2025 randomized trial, the first to measure hair directly, found no difference in DHT or hair between creatine and placebo after 12 weeks.
- That trial was small, short, and only in young men, so the question is not closed for every group, but the evidence points away from creatine as a cause.
- Hair thinning has many possible causes. If you notice changes, talk to a professional rather than guessing.
Why "does creatine cause hair loss" is trending
Two waves are overlapping. Hair loss threads about DHT, fungus, and new treatments are surging, while creatine has moved well beyond the gym crowd to women, adults over 50, and first-time users. When those audiences meet, the oldest creatine myth comes back. Google's suggestions show it: "creatine hair loss study," "creatine DHT," "creatine hair loss myth," and "can creatine cause hair loss in women." Fortunately, this question has a clear research trail.
Where the idea came from: the 2009 rugby study
In 2009, researchers at Stellenbosch University in South Africa published a study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine (van der Merwe, Brooks and Myburgh). They wanted to know whether creatine changes the balance of two androgens, testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Here is what the study did:
- Who: 20 college-aged male rugby players, in season.
- Design: double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover with a six-week washout.
- Protocol: seven days of "loading" at 25 g of creatine a day, then 14 days at 5 g a day, versus a glucose placebo.
- Measured: blood testosterone and DHT, plus body composition.
Testosterone did not change. DHT was 56% higher after the loading week and still 40% above baseline after maintenance, and the DHT-to-testosterone ratio rose 36%, then stayed 22% higher. The authors suggested creatine might speed up the conversion of testosterone to DHT and called for more research.
Why did that become a hair story? DHT is the hormone most associated with common pattern hair thinning in genetically sensitive people. So the internet connected the dots: creatine raises DHT, DHT is linked to hair loss, so creatine causes hair loss. Understandable, but a leap.
What the 2009 study did not show
The study is real, but it has clear limits:
- It never measured hair. The hair conclusion came from readers, not the researchers.
- It was small and short: 21 days on creatine, and a later review notes 16 players completed it.
- DHT stayed within normal clinical limits, per that review, and the creatine group started with lower DHT than the placebo group.
- It was never replicated, and free testosterone, the form converted to DHT, was not measured.
- Hard training can shift androgen levels on its own.
What later research found
The 2021 expert review
In 2021, eleven creatine researchers led by Jose Antonio published "Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation" in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, including a section on hair loss.
They traced most of the speculation to the 2009 study. Of 12 other studies on creatine and testosterone, ten found no change and two found small, short-term increases they called physiologically insignificant. Five also measured free testosterone and found no increase. The review notes no study has reported hair loss or baldness in humans, and concludes the evidence does not indicate creatine increases total testosterone, free testosterone, or DHT, or causes hair loss.
The 2025 hair trial
In 2025, Lak and colleagues published "Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial," also in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. It was the first study to look at hair follicles directly.
- Who: 45 resistance-trained men aged 18 to 40. Thirty-eight finished.
- Design: randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 12 weeks.
- Protocol: 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day or 5 g of maltodextrin placebo, with no loading phase.
- Measured: testosterone, free testosterone, and DHT, plus hair density, follicle count, and hair thickness by trichogram and FotoFinder scalp imaging.
There was no significant difference between groups in DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio, or any hair measure. The authors called this strong evidence against the claim that creatine contributes to hair loss.
How to read the two studies together
One small, unreplicated study saw a rise in a blood hormone. A longer randomized trial that measured hair found no effect on hormones or hair, and the wider hormone research lines up with it.
That does not settle it for everyone. The 2025 trial ran 12 weeks, included only young men, and skipped loading. There are no long-term hair studies in women, older adults, or people already thinning. "No evidence of harm so far" is not "proven impossible." But calling creatine a known cause of hair loss overstates the research.
What this means for women and adults over 50
The research above was done in men. No study shows creatine causes hair loss in women, but there is no dedicated hair trial in women yet either. Our guide to creatine for women and everyday wellness covers what the broader research does and does not show for women.
Hair also changes naturally with age. If you are over 50 and new to creatine, our guide to creatine after 50 explains what researchers are studying in older adults and why training still does most of the work.
If you notice hair changes
Shedding and thinning can come from genetics, hormonal shifts, stress, illness, crash dieting, low iron or protein intake, thyroid problems, medications, and more. A new supplement started around the same time can look guilty by coincidence. If you notice new or unusual hair loss, see a doctor or dermatologist and bring a list of everything you take, including creatine, and when you started it.
Where to buy creatine
If you have decided, with your provider, that creatine fits your routine, monohydrate is the form used in the 2025 hair trial and the form the International Society of Sports Nutrition's position stand focuses on. Ultimate Creatine is the AJTV pick in this category. Its label lists pure creatine monohydrate at 5 g per serving, and it is described as supporting power output, endurance, and recovery.* Follow the label directions, and browse the rest of what we cover in our full collection.
Purchases are completed on the official store at TheAlexJonesStore.com/AJTV.
Sources
- van der Merwe J, Brooks NE, Myburgh KH. Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine. 2009;19(5):399-404. doi:10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f
- Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2021;18:13. PMC7871530
- Lak M, Forbes SC, Ashtary-Larky D, et al. Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2025. PMC12020143
- 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. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2017;14:18. doi:10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before starting any supplement, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, take medication, or have a medical condition. AJTV is an independent fan-affiliate site, not the official Alex Jones store.