Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? The 2009 DHT Study and the 2025 Trial

Below: what each study did and did not show, why DHT matters for hair, and what actually drives male pattern hair loss. If you are losing hair, the cheapest proven treatment we track starts at $14 a month.

Why people think creatine causes hair loss

The idea comes from DHT. DHT, short for dihydrotestosterone, is a hormone the body makes from testosterone. It is the main hormone behind male pattern hair loss.

MedlinePlus, the US National Library of Medicine's health site, explains it this way. Pattern hair loss in men "is related to hormones called androgens, specifically an androgen called dihydrotestosterone (DHT)" (MedlinePlus: androgenetic alopecia, read 14 Nov 2026). It adds that too much DHT action on hair roots "may lead to a shorter growth period, resulting in shorter and thinner strands of hair."

So if creatine raised DHT, people reasoned, it might speed up hair loss. That reasoning rests on one study.

The 2009 creatine and DHT study

The study was done in South Africa with 20 college rugby players. Each man took creatine for three weeks and a dummy powder for three weeks, with a break in between. Researchers measured hormones in the blood.

The finding that started the worry: "levels of DHT increased by 56% after 7 days of creatine loading and remained 40% above baseline after 14 days maintenance" (van der Merwe et al. 2009, PubMed). Baseline means the starting level. Testosterone itself did not change.

The authors were careful. They concluded that "Creatine supplementation may, in part, act through an increased rate of conversion of T to DHT" and that "Further investigation is warranted". T is testosterone.

Here is what the study did not do:

• It did not look at hair at all.
• It had only 20 men.
• It ran for three weeks.
• It measured DHT in the blood, not in the scalp.

A rise in blood DHT over three weeks does not show hair loss. It was a reason to study the question, not an answer.

The 2025 creatine hair loss study

Sixteen years later, a team ran the test that was missing. It was a 12-week trial in 45 men who lift weights. The men were put into two groups at random. One took creatine and the other took a placebo, which works like a sugar pill: a dummy powder with no creatine.

This time the researchers measured hair. They checked hair density, the number of hair groups, and hair thickness with scalp imaging. They also measured testosterone and DHT. Thirty-eight men finished.

The result: "There were no group-by-time interactions observed for any hormones or hair-related outcomes" (Lak et al. 2025, PubMed). In plain words, the creatine group and the dummy group changed the same way. The authors called their work "the first to directly assess hair follicle health following creatine supplementation".

They also stated that their results provide "strong evidence against the claim that creatine contributes to hair loss".

How much weight to give each study

The 2025 trial is larger, longer and actually measured hair. It is still small and short. Twelve weeks is brief for hair, which changes slowly. The authors also disclosed ties to sports nutrition groups and creatine makers, which you can read on the PubMed page.

So the fair summary is this. One small study saw a DHT rise. One better trial saw no DHT rise and no hair change. No study has shown that creatine causes hair loss. No study has followed men on creatine for years either.

Creatine and DHT: does it matter if you are already losing hair?

If you already have pattern hair loss, your hair roots are sensitive to DHT. MedlinePlus notes that the condition "tends to cluster in families" and that a close relative with pattern loss "appears to be a risk factor".

Some men in this group choose to skip creatine to be cautious. That is a personal call. The evidence does not show a need to. What does slow pattern hair loss is a drug that lowers DHT directly, like finasteride. Our finasteride for hair loss guide covers what its label says.

What does cause hair loss in men

The American Academy of Dermatology says hereditary hair loss "is the most common cause of hair loss worldwide" (AAD: what causes hair loss, read 14 Nov 2026). In men, "the first sign is often a receding hairline or bald spot at the top of his head."

Other causes include stress, illness, fast weight loss, thyroid problems, and low iron or protein. The AAD warns about one more thing gym-goers should know: "Taking large amounts of vitamin A or selenium is also toxic and can cause hair loss." Some workout supplements contain extra vitamins, so check the label. Our guide to what causes hair loss in men goes through each cause.

What treats male pattern hair loss

If your thinning follows the pattern of a receding hairline or crown, two drugs have the strongest record. Finasteride is an FDA-approved pill that lowers DHT. Minoxidil foam is approved over the counter. The cheapest hair loss plan we track is Keeps at $14 a month, checked November 14, 2026. Every program, scored on price and care, is on the best online hair loss programs.