In recent years, creatine has become my favorite and preferred fitness supplement. Protein powder and shakes are a nice-to-have, but it’s nothing one can’t fix with a better, more protein-focused diet. I also realized that my best gains were had through creatine—plus, it’s less of a pain to take.

For those who aren’t familiar: Creatine is a common fitness supplement, an organic compound that the body makes. Put simply, when taken, it increases strength, power, and performance in heavy lifts, and it makes physiques look bigger by pulling water directly into muscle cells. It’s usually taken in conjunction with protein supplementation, allowing you to make the most of your gains through your macros.

If you go hang around fitness spaces, both online and offline, you may have heard of a particular bit of “bro science” that claims that taking creatine can cause your hair to fall out.

That claim is not without a foundation. But it’s a bit of a reach in logic: There was a study conducted back in 2009 involving rugby players in South Africa, in which they were made to take 25g of creatine in one week (that’s five tiny scoops in your jar), then two weeks of a more regular 5g dose. The study found that their levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) rose by more than half because of this consumption, and remained steady at around 40 percent.

The science behind it? DHT has been closely linked to hair loss, as the hormone results in the production of finer and shorter hairs. Compounded with the creatine study, that’s where the assumption comes from.

Photo by Natalia Blauth/Unsplash

But does creatine really cause hair loss?

The link and the science seem rock-solid, but does the data actually back it up? Should gym bros stop taking creatine for fear of going bald (if they aren’t already)?

According to professor of dermatology and hair restoration surgeon Ken Anderson—best known as the doctor who helped restore John Cena’s infamously thinning hair—the only pertinent finding from the South African study is that DHT went up from taking creatine, or so he says in an interview with GQ.

Anything else is a wild guess. He says that hair loss only happens if your genetics are sensitive to DHT’s effects.

Scientists also finally took a good look at the claim and ran their own study in 2025. Splitting participants between 5g of creatine daily and a placebo, they found that there were no significant differences between DHT levels and the health of their hair.

While the study found that there may not be a strong link, they also recommend a longer look at the relationship between creatine and hair loss and health. So basically, we still don’t know if taking creatine over a long time does affect your hair—but if you’re new to it, there shouldn’t be anything to worry about.

Creatine is one of the common fitness supplements | Photo by Andrey Khoviakov/Unsplash

How should one take creatine?

If you’re interested in taking the supplement to enjoy its strength and muscle benefits but don’t know where to start, it’s easy: just start taking the powder. Take it with your protein shake, or take it with any other drink if it’s easier, including water (especially if you have the unflavored stuff).

Some people will tell you to do a “loading” phase—where you should take 20 grams (usually four scoops) a day for a week before tapering down to one scoop a day. But starting with one scoop a day will get you to the same place—albeit a little longer, though without any adverse side effects, such as upset stomachs and faster bowel movements.

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Just take it every day, even on your rest days from the gym. Eventually, you’ll see its benefits: mostly stronger lifts on heavier weights, fuller-looking muscles (as it draws water to them), and potentially even improved brain health and function.

Aside from the claims of hair loss, there’s also no real strong data to suggest that creatine is unsafe, aside from claims of kidney damage. (But if you have an existing condition, it’s still always best to ask your doctor about taking creatine.)

What’s actually happening to men’s hair?

Instead, what may be the culprit is simply most men’s genetics. Dermatologist James Kilgour simply says that most guys are taking creatine at the same time male-pattern baldness, or alopecia, reveals itself—in their 20s to 40s.

I can confirm that this is actually the case for me—long before I even found out there was a bro science urban legend about creatine causing hair loss. Personally, it didn’t even matter that I was losing hair, as my build was improving. It was a much better trade-off and a lot easier to make bald work for me.

So yes, there’s no need to stop taking creatine if you’re noticing some shedding and thinning. It’s just the circle of life. But if you’re bothered enough by it and you can afford it, you can go see a hair specialist to find out how you can stop the fallout.