Does Taking Creatine Cause Hair Thinning?

If you’ve spent time in fitness circles or scrolling online wellness forums, you’ve probably seen debates about creatine, and maybe even the claim that it causes hair thinning. While creatine is both a well-researched and widely used supplement, this lingering myth has caused many people to hesitate before trying it. So, let’s clear things up: there is no scientific evidence that taking creatine causes hair thinning.

To understand where this idea came from and why it’s not supported by research, let’s take a closer look at what creatine actually is and what the science really says.

Creatine is a compound your body naturally makes that helps supply energy to your muscle cells, particularly during exercise. It’s a popular supplement for athletes because it allows your muscles to contract with more power and strength, improving performance and recovery, especially with short bursts of high-intensity exercise.¹ 

Creatine has earned its good reputation with athletes for good reason. Established research shows that creatine supplementation may:

Potentially offer neuroprotective benefits for aging adults.²

You get small amounts of creatine from foods like meat and fish. But the amounts used for athletic benefits (and what’s been studied in clinical research) are typically higher than what food alone can provide. Long-term studies have shown that suggested supplement serving sizes (typically 3–5 grams per day) are well-tolerated in healthy adults.¹ 

Almost all of the concern traces back to one small study from 2009 studying college-age rugby players, in which one group took a larger starting serving of creatine, followed by a maintenance amount, while another group took a placebo.³

The participants taking creatine showed a 56% increase in a hormone called DHT in the first week, leading to 40% above baseline after 3 weeks. DHT is a byproduct of testosterone that is actually stronger, which can cause follicle shrinkage that causes hair to thin over time in some people who have a genetic predisposition.¹  

Even though the rugby study didn’t report any hair thinning or evaluate follicle health, the observed DHT increase triggered speculation that creatine might indirectly contribute to more hair thinning and shedding.³ This single finding quickly spread online and has fueled the myth ever since.

When the 2009 rugby study is examined closely, several key issues emerge:

In 2021, an internationally renowned team of research experts in nutrition, sports medicine, and physiology concluded that “the current body of evidence does not indicate that creatine supplementation increases total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT, or causes hair loss/baldness.”¹

And in 2025, a study led by researchers collaborating with the Iran Skin Research Center finally addressed the question directly by examining hair follicle health in healthy young men taking creatine over 12 weeks.⁵ The results were definitive:

Because this study directly assessed the impact of creatine on hair follicle health, it does provide a strong argument against the claim that creatine contributes to hair thinning, although more research in this area is still needed. 

Creatine remains one of the most well-studied supplements available, with many peer-reviewed studies supporting its safety and benefits. While one early study sparked concern about DHT and hair thinning, that finding hasn’t held up. 

The best available evidence indicates no direct link between creatine supplementation and hair thinning.¹ So, if the fear of hair thinning is holding you back from considering creatine, you can rest easy knowing that the most up-to-date science says you can support your muscles without compromising your hair.

As always, talk with your doctor if you have any health concerns before adding supplements to your routine.