30 Seconds SummaryNo, Creatine (Probably) Doesn’t Cause Hair Loss
- Concerns about creatine causing hair loss are based on its potential to increase DHT levels, which is linked to hair loss in conditions like androgenic alopecia.
- A single study from 2009 suggested that creatine raises DHT levels in serum, leading some to worry about increased hair loss risks.
- However, broader research has shown inconsistent or negligible effects of creatine on DHT and testosterone levels, and hair loss itself was never directly measured.
- Further complicating matters, the increase in DHT observed in the cited study was within normal physiological ranges and may not be significant enough to impact hair loss.
- The relevancy of serum DHT levels to actual hair loss is questioned; factors within hair follicles themselves are more crucial for androgenic alopecia, not the circulating serum levels.
- Ultimately, there is little to no good evidence suggesting creatine supplementation is linked to increased hair loss, and concerns may be overblown.
Stronger By Science
Greg Nuckols