The “Creatine Makes You Bald” Myth Came From One Study That Never Checked Hair

Creatine is one of the most popular supplements in the gym. It’s also one of the most whispered-about.

Ask online and someone will warn you: “It’ll make you bald.”

So where did that idea come from? Mostly from one small study in 2009.

It didn’t measure hair at all.

And in 2025, a trial finally did. It found no effect.

Does creatine cause hair loss?

The best current evidence says no.

No study has shown creatine causing hair loss. A 2021 expert review concluded the evidence “does not indicate” that creatine raises testosterone or DHT or causes hair loss.

A 2025 randomised trial then checked hair directly, with scalp imaging. Men taking 5 grams a day for 12 weeks showed no change in hair compared with placebo.

The trial was small and short, so it can’t rule out every possibility. But the scare rests on much weaker ground.

What creatine actually does

Creatine is one of the most studied supplements in sport. Your body makes some, and you get more from meat and fish.

Taking it raises the creatine stored in your muscles. That helps with short, intense efforts like lifting or sprinting.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition says studies have consistently shown this leads to better high-intensity performance and greater training gains.

Researchers are also studying it for recovery, ageing muscles and brain health, though those uses are less settled.

That popularity is exactly why the hair question matters. Millions of people take it.

What the research shows

Why DHT matters for hair

To understand the worry, you need one hormone: dihydrotestosterone, or DHT.

The body makes DHT from testosterone. In people prone to male-pattern baldness, DHT shrinks hair follicles over time.

As the US National Library of Medicine explains, male-pattern hair loss is related to androgens, specifically DHT. So anything that raises DHT sounds alarming.

The 2009 study that started it all

In 2009, researchers gave 20 college rugby players creatine or a placebo. They loaded with a high dose for a week, then took a maintenance dose for two more weeks.

Testosterone didn’t change. But DHT rose by 56% after the loading week and stayed 40% above baseline after the maintenance phase.

That single finding launched the “creatine causes baldness” idea.

What that study didn’t show

Here’s what often gets left out.

The 2025 trial’s authors looked closely at the 2009 numbers. DHT in the creatine group went from 0.98 to 1.53 nmol/L, then settled at 1.38.

The normal range for healthy men is about 0.8 to 3.5 nmol/L. Every value stayed inside it.

The chart shows how modest that rise was next to the top of the normal range.

The 2025 trial that measured hair

Researchers recruited 45 men aged 18 to 40 who did resistance training. They were randomly given 5 grams of creatine or a look-alike placebo every day for 12 weeks.

Neither the men nor the researchers knew who got what. Everyone kept training at least three times a week.

The team measured:

• DHT, testosterone and free testosterone in the blood;
• hair density and hair follicle counts with scalp imaging;
• hair thickness and growth.

Thirty-eight men finished the study.

How they checked hair

Board-certified dermatologists at the Iran Skin Research Center did the hair assessments. They imaged the crown of the scalp under standard lighting and magnification.

Participants were asked not to cut their hair for at least three weeks before each check. That kept hairs in their natural growth stages for counting.

What they found

There were no differences between the creatine and placebo groups in DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio or any hair measure.

There were also no changes in kidney markers, and no reported side effects.

One detail backs up the experts’ point about exercise. Total testosterone rose and free testosterone fell over the 12 weeks in both groups, placebo included.

So training itself shifted hormones. Creatine added nothing on top.

The authors concluded their results “refute the common claim that creatine causes baldness”.

What earlier research found

An expert review of the myth

A 2021 review by the International Society of Sports Nutrition tackled common creatine myths. On hair, it noted the 2009 results “have not been replicated”.

It also pointed out that intense resistance exercise itself can raise these hormones. And the 2009 DHT rise stayed within normal clinical limits.

Creatine’s safety record

The society’s 2017 position stand reviewed decades of research. It concluded that creatine, at up to 30 grams a day for up to 5 years, is safe and well tolerated in healthy people.

How DHT drives balding

A 2026 systematic review describes male-pattern hair loss as the gradual shrinking of follicles. Genes and androgens drive it, with DHT playing a crucial role.

That’s why the 2009 DHT result raised concern, and why direct hair measurements matter so much.

How it fits together

The theory had a plausible chain: creatine, then DHT, then hair loss. The first link was never confirmed, and the final link has now been tested directly, with no effect.

How much should you trust this?

Promising. The direct evidence points clearly one way, but it comes from one modest trial.

What makes it convincing

• The 2025 trial was randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled.
• It measured hair directly with scalp imaging, not just hormones.
• Expert reviews agree the original concern was never replicated.

What makes me cautious

• Only 38 men completed the trial.
• It lasted 12 weeks; hair changes can take longer.
• It included only young men and used a standard dose.
• Family history of baldness wasn’t recorded.
• Several authors advise supplement companies, though the trial had no funding.

What this means for you

• Hair worries aren’t a strong reason to avoid creatine. The direct evidence doesn’t support the myth.
• Stick to standard doses. The 2025 trial used 5 grams a day.
• Know your family history. Genes are the main driver of male-pattern balding.
• If you’re already losing hair, talk to a doctor about proven treatments rather than blaming a supplement. The NHS explains hair loss causes and treatments.
• Check product quality. Supplements vary; look for third-party testing.

MedlinePlus explains androgenetic alopecia (male- and female-pattern hair loss) and its causes.

In this short video, a board-certified dermatologist from the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery explains the common causes of hair loss:

What we still don’t know

1. Long-term effects? No trial has followed hair for years.
2. Women? The 2025 trial included only men.
3. High doses? Loading doses like the 2009 study weren’t retested.
4. People already balding? Men with strong family histories weren’t singled out.
5. Bigger trials? A larger study would settle it more firmly.

My take: blame genes, not creatine

What I like about this story is how clearly it shows a myth being born. One small hormone result became “creatine makes you bald” without anyone checking hair.

I’m less convinced by the opposite headline, that creatine is “proven” not to affect hair. One 12-week trial in 38 men isn’t the final word.

But the burden of proof has flipped. The scare now needs evidence, and so far it has none.

If your dad went bald early, that’s a much better predictor than your protein shaker.