Supplements and hair
Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss?
Reviewed by a qualified clinician · analysed at UKAS-accredited UK labs (ISO 15189)
Last reviewed August 20266 min read
Every Helvy guide is written by our health editors, then checked by a qualified clinician before it goes live and re-checked as the science moves. We name clinical roles, not individuals, until each reviewer has agreed to be credited publicly. This is wellness guidance to help you understand your own data, not a diagnosis.
QUICK ANSWER
No. The one trial that measured hair directly found no difference in DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio or hair count after 12 weeks on 5 g a day. The myth rests on a 2009 study of 20 rugby players that never looked at anyone’s hair.
If you have scrolled a supplement forum lately, you have met this worry. Someone starts creatine, notices more hair in the shower a few months later, and the two get joined up. The claim has run for fifteen years on a single study.
In 2025 it was finally tested properly. This guide covers what that trial found, why the old study was never good evidence, and the things behind hair thinning that a blood test can genuinely measure.
By the Helvy Medical Team · Reviewed by a qualified clinician · 6 min read
As of August 2026. Reflects the randomised controlled trial published in April 2025 in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.
1. The short answer: what the 2025 trial found
The evidence says no. In April 2025, a 12-week randomised controlled trial gave people either 5 g of creatine monohydrate a day or a placebo. It then measured both their blood and their scalps.
Nothing separated the two groups. Not DHT, the androgen most tied to male pattern balding. Not the DHT-to-testosterone ratio. And not hair count, hair density or follicle thickness, which were tracked with imaging that counts individual hairs.
This mattered because it was a first. Every earlier study had measured hormones and left the hair itself to guesswork. The authors call it the first trial to directly assess follicle health on creatine, and say it gives “strong evidence against the claim that creatine contributes to hair loss.”
One trial is not the end of a subject, and this one was small: 45 people enrolled, 38 finished. But it tested the exact mechanism the myth depends on, and found nothing there.
2. Where the myth came from
All of it traces to one 2009 study of 20 college rugby players in South Africa. They took a heavy loading dose, 25 g a day for a week, then 5 g a day for two more.
Their DHT rose 56% after the loading week and stayed 40% above baseline through the maintenance phase. Testosterone itself did not move. That is a real finding, and it was published in a real journal.
But here is the part the internet dropped. The study never measured hair. Not hair count, not density, not thinning. DHT is involved in male pattern balding, so people filled the gap themselves, and the inference hardened into folklore.
There is a second catch. The creatine group started with DHT about 23% below the placebo group, so some of that jump was a return toward normal. In fifteen years, no study replicated the DHT rise. Then the 2025 trial looked for it directly and found none.
3. What actually thins hair, and what a blood test shows
Some shedding is normal. The NHS puts the usual daily loss at between 50 and 100 hairs, most of which you never notice. So the first question is whether anything has really changed.
“Hair loss is not usually anything to be worried about, but occasionally it can be a sign of a medical condition.”
— NHS, Hair loss
That last clause is the useful bit. Most hair thinning is genetic or stress-related, and no blood test explains it. A handful of causes do show up in blood, though, and they are worth ruling out before you blame your protein shake.
THYROID — TSH AND FREE T4
An under- or overactive thyroid is a recognised cause of hair thinning, and it often arrives with fatigue, weight change or feeling cold. TSH is the pituitary’s signal to the thyroid; Free T4 is the hormone the gland actually releases. Both sit in our General Energy & Wellness panel (£149), and the Thyroid & Vital Organs panel (£159) adds Free T3.
IRON STORES — FERRITIN
Ferritin is the protein that reflects how much iron you have banked. Low stores are a classic reason for diffuse thinning, particularly in women with heavy periods. Our Vitamins & Minerals panel (£159) measures ferritin alongside iron, transferrin and transferrin saturation.
VITAMIN D AND VITAMIN B12
Both are common shortfalls in the UK, and both matter for the fast-dividing cells in a hair follicle. They appear in the General Energy & Wellness and Vitamins & Minerals panels.
INFLAMMATION — CRP
C-reactive protein rises when something inflammatory is running in the background. It will not name the cause, but a raised result is a signal worth taking to a GP. It is included in the General Energy & Wellness panel.
A GP may also run a full blood count, which looks at the red cells themselves rather than your iron stores. Our guide to a full blood count explains what those numbers mean.
For the fuller picture, see our guide to a hair loss blood test, or the thyroid hub if the thyroid symptoms sound familiar. A blood test measures these markers; it does not diagnose why your hair is thinning, and a worrying result belongs with your GP.
4. The one thing creatine does change
Creatine will not touch your hair, but it can move one blood result. It breaks down into creatinine, the waste product labs use to estimate kidney function.
So a regular creatine habit can nudge your serum creatinine up and your estimated eGFR down, with nothing wrong with your kidneys. It is a measurement artefact, not damage.
It still catches people out, so mention creatine when you get bloods done. Our guide to creatine and creatinine explains how to read the result. And if the testosterone half of the myth interests you, we cover creatine and testosterone separately.
Frequently asked questions
Does creatine cause hair loss?
The evidence says no. A 12-week randomised controlled trial published in 2025 measured hair count, density and follicle thickness directly, and found no difference between people taking 5 g of creatine a day and those on placebo.
Does creatine raise DHT?
One 2009 study of 20 rugby players reported a 56% rise on a heavy loading dose. No study has replicated it since, and the 2025 trial found no difference in DHT or in the DHT-to-testosterone ratio.
Should I stop creatine if my hair is thinning?
That is a decision for you and your GP, but the evidence does not point at creatine. Thyroid problems, low iron stores and genetics are all more likely, and the first three can be measured. See a GP if your hair loss is worrying you.
Which blood test should I get for hair loss?
The markers with the best track record are thyroid function, iron stores, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Our General Energy & Wellness panel covers thyroid, vitamin D and B12; the Vitamins & Minerals panel covers the full iron workup including ferritin.
How much hair loss is normal?
The NHS puts normal daily loss at 50 to 100 hairs, usually without you noticing. A visible change in density, a receding pattern or hair coming out in clumps is worth a GP visit.
Check what a blood test can show
Our General Energy & Wellness panel (£149) measures thyroid function, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and CRP. Home finger-prick kit, results in about 5 working days, from UKAS-accredited UK laboratories.
Medical disclaimer:This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The studies cited measure population-level effects and may not predict an individual response. Do not start, stop or change any supplement or treatment based solely on this article — consult your GP or a qualified healthcare professional. All Helvy blood tests are processed by UKAS-accredited UK laboratories to ISO 15189.
Last updated: August 2026 · By Helvy · Medically analysed at UKAS-accredited UK laboratories
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