Short answer
Current evidence says no. The only trial that measured hair, a 12-week study of 5 g a day in 45 resistance-trained men published in 2025, found no change in DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio, hair density, follicle count or thickness. The worry traces to one 2009 study of 20 rugby players that saw DHT rise on a loading dose but never measured hair.
Where the fear came from
In 2009, a small study of 20 college rugby players in South Africa reported that a week of creatine loading at 25 g a day raised DHT, a hormone linked to male-pattern hair loss, by 56%, and that it stayed 40% above baseline three weeks later. The study never measured hair. It has been cited for 15 years as if it had.
What the direct test found
In 2025, Lak and colleagues ran the first trial designed to answer the question: 45 resistance-trained men took 5 g of creatine a day or placebo for 12 weeks, and 38 completed it. There were no differences between groups in DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio, or any hair measure, including density, follicle count and thickness.
One trial is not the final word. The American Hair Loss Association noted it was small and didn’t screen for genetic predisposition. The honest summary is that the link is not supported by current evidence, not that it has been proven impossible.
What to do with that
If hair loss runs in your family and you notice a change after starting creatine, talk to a clinician: the timing may be coincidence with age, but it costs nothing to check. Hair loss is not listed as a side effect on any creatine product we reviewed, and the International Society of Sports Nutrition’s 2021 review of creatine myths reached the same conclusion.
Related questions
Does creatine raise testosterone?
Not in a way that matters. The 2025 trial found no change in testosterone or DHT at 5 g a day.
Does the loading phase change the risk?
The 2009 study used a 25 g loading week, which is where the DHT rise appeared. The 2025 trial used 5 g a day with no loading and saw nothing. Most trials use 3 to 5 g a day.
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Sources
Published 2026-09-30 · Last checked 2026-09-30
Educational content, not medical advice. Made for the United States.