Creatine hair loss studies, explained
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Two studies sit at the centre of the creatine and hair-loss debate. They measured different things, used different doses and lasted different lengths of time, which is why headlines about them seem to disagree.
Side-by-side comparison
| van der Merwe et al. (2009) | 2025 randomized trial (JISSN) | |
|---|---|---|
| Participants | 20 college-aged male rugby players | Healthy resistance-trained men, 18–40 |
| Design | Double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover | Double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled |
| Dose | 25 g/day for 7 days, then 5 g/day for 14 days | 5 g/day creatine monohydrate |
| Length | 3 weeks | 12 weeks |
| Hormones | DHT +56% after loading, +40% after maintenance; testosterone unchanged | No difference vs placebo in testosterone, free testosterone or DHT |
| Hair measured? | No | Yes: density, follicular units, thickness |
| Hair result | Not assessed | No difference vs placebo |
The 2009 rugby player study
Published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, this study set out to see whether creatine changed resting androgen levels in athletes. It found that DHT and the DHT-to-testosterone ratio rose, and the authors suggested creatine might increase the conversion of testosterone into DHT. They called for more research, given how many people use creatine.
What it did not do is look at a single hair. It was also small, short, used a high loading dose, and has not been replicated. That doesn't make it a bad study, but it was asked to carry far more weight online than it ever could.
The 2025 randomized controlled trial
Sixteen years later, researchers ran the trial everyone had been waiting for: a 12-week, placebo-controlled study that tracked hormones and hair. Participants took 5 g of creatine monohydrate or a maltodextrin placebo daily and kept training. Scalp imaging measured hair density, follicular unit counts and cumulative hair thickness.
No outcome differed meaningfully between groups. The authors concluded the results do not support the claim that creatine causes hair loss.
Other research
A 2021 review in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition on common creatine misconceptions looked across the studies that measured testosterone and found little consistent effect on androgens, and noted there was no direct evidence that creatine causes hair loss. Large safety reviews of creatine over decades have not listed hair loss as a recognised side effect.
How to read the evidence
- Strongest evidence: the 2025 RCT. It measured the thing you care about (hair) and found nothing.
- Remaining question: whether very high doses, much longer use, women, or people with existing hair loss respond differently. No study has shown harm in these groups; they just haven't been studied directly.
- Practical takeaway: stick to 3 to 5 g a day and treat any genetic hair loss on its own terms.
Next: how creatine and DHT actually interact, or how to take creatine without losing hair.
Frequently asked questions
What study says creatine causes hair loss?
None does directly. A 2009 study of 20 rugby players found higher DHT after creatine loading but did not measure hair.
Is there a study proving creatine doesn't cause hair loss?
A 2025 12-week randomized controlled trial found no difference between creatine and placebo in DHT, hair density, follicle counts or thickness. One study can't prove a negative forever, but it is the best evidence available.
Was the 2009 creatine DHT study replicated?
No. No study since has confirmed a meaningful creatine-driven rise in DHT.
Keep reading
Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss?
The full answer, from the 2009 rugby study to the 2025 trial.
Read →Creatine and DHT
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