{"id":72808,"date":"2025-05-04T03:19:33","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T03:19:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/72808\/"},"modified":"2025-05-04T03:19:33","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T03:19:33","slug":"new-study-reveals-the-truth-about-creatine-and-hair-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/72808\/","title":{"rendered":"New Study Reveals the Truth about Creatine and Hair Loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to a new study<\/a> published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition \u2013 the first to directly assess hair follicle health following creatine supplementation \u2013 creatine does not contribute to hair loss<\/a>.<\/p>\n

These days, you can\u2019t scroll through social media without seeing somebody discussing creatine. It\u2019s one of the most popular supplements on the market. But, despite fitfluencers\u2019 rave reviews about its positive effects on muscle strength<\/a>, lean tissue and general recovery<\/a>, creatine still gets a bad rep when it comes to one thing: alleged hair loss.<\/p>\n

Why Do Some People Think Creatine Causes Hair Loss?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It all started back in 2009 with a single research paper<\/a> published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine. The study explored how creatine monohydrate supplementation affected dihydrotestosterone \u2013 DHT \u2013 to testosterone ratio in 20 male rugby players. Derived from testosterone<\/a>, DHT\u2019s effects are strictly androgenic as it can’t be converted to oestrogen. Although it can stimulate hair growth in other areas of the body (e.g. beard, chest or pubic region), DHT binds to androgen receptors in hair follicles on the scalp, potentially causing the follicles to shrink and sometimes stopping them from producing hair completely. <\/p>\n

The rugby players creatine loaded for seven days (25g\/day creatine with 25g\/day glucose) before taking a maintenance dose of 5g\/day creatine with 25 g\/day glucose. While serum testosterone levels didn\u2019t change, researchers found that DHT increased by 56% after 7 days of creatine loading and remained 40% above baseline after 14 days maintenance. The DHT:T ratio also increased by 36% after seven days of creatine supplementation and remained elevated by 22% after the maintenance dose.<\/p>\n

While this research has been referred to on social media as evidence that creatine does cause hair loss, information has been left out along the way. As the new study notes, while DHT levels increased, they remained within the normal range for healthy adult males. <\/p>\n

In a TikTok video<\/a> discussing the 2009 study, Dr Idris Mughal, an NHS Doctor with a master\u2019s in nutritional research, said: \u2018For the sake of argument, let\u2019s just say that study was replicated ten more times \u2013 even if creatine increases DHT levels, it\u2019s unlikely the increase will cause further hair loss beyond what is expected otherwise.\u2019<\/p>\n

What Did The New Study Find?<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the same video, Dr Mughal added that while a couple of studies had identified an increase in testosterone when supplementing creatine, \u2018over a dozen studies have shown no effect on testosterone levels. So, if testosterone levels don’t go up, then DHT won\u2019t either\u2019. Crucially, he pointed out, no studies at that point had directly tested hair loss.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s what makes this new study unique. In a 12-week randomised control trial, researchers studied 38 resistance-trained males. They were randomly assigned to a creatine monohydrate (5\u2009g\/day) or placebo (5\u2009g maltodextrin\/day) group. Participants continued with their normal diets and training, and the researchers collected both blood-related and hair health data to determine how 12\u2009weeks of creatine supplementation affected androgen levels and hair follicle health. <\/p>\n

The result? No significant differences in DHT levels, DHT-to-testosterone ratio, or hair growth parameters were identified between the creatine and placebo groups.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line <\/strong><\/p>\n

A randomised, double-blind study, the research was pretty rigorous \u2013 and as the first study to directly test the effects of creatine on hair loss, it\u2019s a significant addition to what is a constantly growing body of research. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s also not to say anecdotal reports of hair loss while supplementing with creatine aren\u2019t valid, it might just be that there are other factors at play, including genetic predisposition or other conditions known to influence hair loss, such as alopecia areata or thyroid disorders. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s always worth checking in with your doctor or nutritionist if you\u2019re experiencing any new symptoms. What works for one person doesn\u2019t always work for someone else. <\/p>\n

More Like This\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Hannah Bradfield is a Senior Nutrition Writer across Women\u2019s Health UK\u00a0and Men\u2019s Health UK. An NCTJ-accredited journalist, Hannah graduated from Loughborough University with a BA in English and Sport Science and an MA in Media and Cultural Analysis.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She has been covering sports, health and fitness for the last five years and has created content for outlets including BBC Sport, BBC Sounds, Runner\u2019s World\u00a0and Stylist. She especially enjoys interviewing those working within the community to improve access to sport, exercise and wellness. Hannah is a 2024 John Schofield Trust Fellow and was also named a 2022 Rising Star in Journalism by The Printing Charity.\u00a0<\/p>\n

A keen runner, Hannah was firmly a sprinter growing up (also dabbling in long jump) but has since transitioned to longer-distance running. While 10K is her favoured race distance, she loves running or volunteering at parkrun every Saturday, followed, of course, by pastries. She\u2019s always looking for fun new runs and races to do and brunch spots to try.<\/p>\n