Creatine and hair loss in a 12-week trial
What it found
In resistance-trained men, 12 weeks of creatine did not change DHT levels or any hair growth measures compared with a placebo.
The authors say this refutes the claim that creatine causes hair loss.
What they found
Studies in people
DHT levels
There were no significant differences in DHT levels or the DHT-to-testosterone ratio between the creatine and placebo groups.
Hair growth measures
Hair density, follicular unit count, and cumulative hair thickness showed no significant differences between groups or over time.
Testosterone changes
Total testosterone increased and free testosterone decreased over the 12 weeks, but these changes happened in both groups and were not related to creatine.
Kidney markers
Creatinine and eGFR did not change in either group over the 12 weeks.
Side effects
No side effects were reported in either group during the study.
What the authors conclude
“This study was the first to directly assess hair follicle health following creatine supplementation, providing strong evidence against the claim that creatine contributes to hair loss.”
Also in their conclusions
- They conclude that creatine supplementation does not cause hair loss.
- They state that their findings provide strong evidence against the claim that creatine contributes to hair loss.
- They advise that future research may be needed in females and with longer durations or higher doses.
How it was done
Some people worry that creatine raises dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone linked to male pattern baldness. No controlled study had directly looked at creatine and hair follicle health.
Forty-five resistance-trained men aged 18 to 40 were randomly assigned to take 5 g of creatine monohydrate or a placebo daily for 12 weeks. Blood samples and hair assessments were done at the start and end.
What it can’t tell you
- This study was only in young men, so the results may not apply to women or older people.
- The study lasted 12 weeks, so it cannot show what might happen with longer use or higher doses.
- It did not look at family history of hair loss, which can affect individual risk.
Who paid
- Conflicts
- SCF is a scientific advisor for Bear Balanced® and has received creatine donations from Creapure® for research purposes. SCF is a sport nutrition advisor for the International Society of Sport Nutrition (ISSN). JA is the CEO and co-founder of the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), an academic non-profit that may be sponsored by companies that manufacture, market, and sell dietary supplements. He is also a scientific advisor to brands including Creapure®, Bear Balanced®, Create®, and ENHANCED Games®. GMT has received support for his research laboratory through research funding or in-kind gifts from nutrition and sports nutrition companies. GMT is Owner of Tinsley Consulting LLC, which provides paid consulting services to dietary supplement manufacturers. All other authors declare no conflicts of interest related to this research.
- Authors work at
- Sport Sciences Research Institute of Iran, Iran; Brandon University, Canada; Ahvaz Jundishapur University of Medical Sciences, Iran
The paper
- Title
- Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Full text
- Licence
- CC BY. Words in quotation marks are the authors’; the rest is our summary.
- Cite
- Lak M, Forbes SC, Ashtary-Larky D, et al (2025). Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. doi:10.1080/15502783.2025.2495229Free full textPubMed 40265319DOI
Summary written 29 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error