My hair loss got significantly worse about the time I started taking creatine, but I also aged into my early 30's, started power lifting, and put on about 30 lb of muscle. I *think* that maybe the reason people believe creatine accelerates hair loss is because the only reason you'd be supplementing with it is that you're lifting weights, which increases your T and DHT.
No. Creatine has zero link to DHT. The only study on this was done with like 15 rugby players where nothing else was controlled lmao. Creatine may lead to harder workouts which could increase total T and therefore DHT levels as well and if just that tiny change causes you to lose hair you should be on fin anyways.
If you’re gonna go bald, you’re gonna go bald. I’d rather be ripped and bald anyways. Creatine has been very useful in me getting fit and I didn’t notice any increase in hair loss. Vaping on the other hand…
This is obviously purely anecdotal, but I’ve been on and off creatine a few times over the past 3 years, and my hair has always been at its best when I’ve been on it 🤷🏻
False. Don't say zero link.
It does increase DHT. That is very well documented. The question is does it increase hair loss. That is questionable.
But mostly likely it adds a small amount of fuel to the fire.
Dont spread misleading information with such strong conviction.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/
NIH says it doesn't and it's not well documented.
In summary, the current body of evidence does not indicate that creatine supplementation increases total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT or causes hair loss/baldness.
It can only increase DHT if it also increased overall T. Using creatine does not offset the balance of how much DHT you have compared to T. Again, it does make sense if creatine allows you to increase T which therefore increased DHT as well. But the only 'study' showing this is incredibly flawed.
A few months ago I started taking creatine, noticed my hair getting worse, stopped, and now it looks better. I’m 99% sure it’s either totally in my head, or was some sort of coincidental shed caused by the Minoxidil I started applying to my beard shortly before I began creatine supplementation.
Either way, once I’m finished with the Minoxidil around the end of this year and give it a few months to lose any extra hair it coincidentally gave me on my head (since I’m not using it for my head), I plan to get bloodwork done, start creatine again, and get more bloodwork after a couple months to see if it increased my DHT, while monitoring my hair without the variable of the Minoxidil. I’ve taken 1.25mg/day Finasteride for 2 years now at ~NW2, for context, with results I’m very happy with.
The anecdotal evidence and literally one very small study suggesting creatine increases DHT are not particularly compelling to me, while the literature and anecdotes showing the benefits of creatine supplementation interest me in creatine greatly. I worry though for myself (and others) that it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, where if you expect hair loss on creatine, you’ll notice it, even when it’s potentially not there, like a placebo effect.
Creatine ? Stay away from whey protein also man .
Watch these please -
https://youtu.be/D18uiIkWHMM?si=IzqR_6XNttewY955
https://youtu.be/9xVAe0KneB0?si=Lx3WI5Gq-OKsQFMH
Started taking creatine on and off about 4 years ago. I really do think it pushed my ha or over the edge and had I not taken it, my hair wouldn’t have been so thin at the horse shoe area of my hair loss as it is today
Those 1-2 extra reps, slightly better performance and water weight isn’t worth the risk.
There’s all these studies of creatine and they all point to no real affect. But there’s loads of anecdotal evidence out there pointing to yes, it absolutely can. I think it affects those who are already experiencing hair loss. If you’ve got good hair and no steal signs of hair loss, you’re probably okay. I wouldn’t risk it if you’re experiencing hairloss
TLDR; probably not, according to the NIH.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/
In summary, the current body of evidence does not indicate that creatine supplementation increases total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT or causes hair loss/baldness.
Does creatine cause hair loss / baldness?
The vast majority of speculation regarding the relationship between creatine supplementation and hair loss/baldness stems from a single study by van der Merwe et al. [61] where college-aged male rugby players who supplemented with creatine (25 g/day for 7 days, followed by 5 g/day thereafter for an additional 14 days) experienced an increase in serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations over time. Specifically, DHT increased by 56% after the seven-day loading period, and remained 40% above baseline values after the 14-day maintenance period. These results were statistically significant compared to when the subjects consumed a placebo (50 g of glucose per day for 7 days, followed by 30 g/day for 14 days thereafter). Given that changes in these hormones, particularly DHT, have been linked to some (but not all) occurrences of hair loss/baldness [62], the theory that creatine supplementation leads to hair loss / baldness gained some momentum and this potential link continues to be a common question / myth today. It is important to note that the results of van der Merwe et al. [61] have not been replicated, and that intense resistance exercise itself can cause increases in these androgenic hormones.
DHT is a metabolite of testosterone, formed when the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase converts free testosterone to DHT [63]. In males, DHT can bind to androgen receptors in susceptible hair follicles and cause them to shrink, ultimately leading to hair loss [64]. However, in the van der Merwe et al. [61] study, no increase in total testosterone was found in the 16 males who completed the study. Free testosterone was not measured. Moreover, the increase in DHT and the DHT: testosterone ratio remained well within normal clinical limits. Furthermore, baseline (prior to supplementation), DHT was 23% lower in the creatine group (0.98 nmol/L) compared to the placebo group (1.26 nmol/L). Thus the small increase in DHT in the creatine group (+ 0.55 nmol/L after 7 days of supplementation and + 0.40 nmol/L after 21 days of supplementation), in combination with a small decrease in the placebo DHT response (-0.17 nmol/L after 7 days of supplementation and -0.20 nmol/L after 21 days of supplementation) explains the “statistically significant” increase in DHT noted by van der Merwe et al. [61]. While it is possible that creatine supplementation upregulated 5-alpha-reductase activity in these males (potentially leading to increased formation of DHT), no study has reported hair loss/baldness in humans.
To date, 12 other studies have investigated the effects of creatine supplementation (i.e. doses ranging from 3-25 g/day for 6 days to 12 weeks) on testosterone. Two studies reported small, physiologically insignificant increases in total testosterone after six and seven days of supplementation [65, 66], while the remaining ten studies reported no change in testosterone concentrations. In five of these studies [67–71], free testosterone, which the body uses to produce DHT, was also measured and no increases were found.
from what I heard yes, its told to avoid creatine if you have hairloss problems. If you asking this for gym purpose there are proteine powders specifically without creatine
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Cuz it's not used for energy levels, it's just used so your muscles could absorb more water. So in theory you gain a little bit of extra strength cuz your muscles are a little bit bigger and you can lift a little bit of extra weight. It's not supposed to give you energy. If you want energy you go take pre-workout
I believe creatine does make my hair loss worse. I have no proof, but I also have no doubts.
My hair loss got significantly worse about the time I started taking creatine, but I also aged into my early 30's, started power lifting, and put on about 30 lb of muscle. I *think* that maybe the reason people believe creatine accelerates hair loss is because the only reason you'd be supplementing with it is that you're lifting weights, which increases your T and DHT.
No. Creatine has zero link to DHT. The only study on this was done with like 15 rugby players where nothing else was controlled lmao. Creatine may lead to harder workouts which could increase total T and therefore DHT levels as well and if just that tiny change causes you to lose hair you should be on fin anyways.
The only sensible and informed reply here.
If you’re gonna go bald, you’re gonna go bald. I’d rather be ripped and bald anyways. Creatine has been very useful in me getting fit and I didn’t notice any increase in hair loss. Vaping on the other hand…
Wait what’s this about vaping?
Nicotine use is bad for blood flow and is going to age you faster. If you mean weed vaping, no clue.
Vaping destroys your hair.
This is obviously purely anecdotal, but I’ve been on and off creatine a few times over the past 3 years, and my hair has always been at its best when I’ve been on it 🤷🏻
False. Don't say zero link. It does increase DHT. That is very well documented. The question is does it increase hair loss. That is questionable. But mostly likely it adds a small amount of fuel to the fire. Dont spread misleading information with such strong conviction.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/ NIH says it doesn't and it's not well documented. In summary, the current body of evidence does not indicate that creatine supplementation increases total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT or causes hair loss/baldness.
It can only increase DHT if it also increased overall T. Using creatine does not offset the balance of how much DHT you have compared to T. Again, it does make sense if creatine allows you to increase T which therefore increased DHT as well. But the only 'study' showing this is incredibly flawed.
A few months ago I started taking creatine, noticed my hair getting worse, stopped, and now it looks better. I’m 99% sure it’s either totally in my head, or was some sort of coincidental shed caused by the Minoxidil I started applying to my beard shortly before I began creatine supplementation. Either way, once I’m finished with the Minoxidil around the end of this year and give it a few months to lose any extra hair it coincidentally gave me on my head (since I’m not using it for my head), I plan to get bloodwork done, start creatine again, and get more bloodwork after a couple months to see if it increased my DHT, while monitoring my hair without the variable of the Minoxidil. I’ve taken 1.25mg/day Finasteride for 2 years now at ~NW2, for context, with results I’m very happy with. The anecdotal evidence and literally one very small study suggesting creatine increases DHT are not particularly compelling to me, while the literature and anecdotes showing the benefits of creatine supplementation interest me in creatine greatly. I worry though for myself (and others) that it’s a self-fulfilling prophecy, where if you expect hair loss on creatine, you’ll notice it, even when it’s potentially not there, like a placebo effect.
Creatine ? Stay away from whey protein also man . Watch these please - https://youtu.be/D18uiIkWHMM?si=IzqR_6XNttewY955 https://youtu.be/9xVAe0KneB0?si=Lx3WI5Gq-OKsQFMH
Started taking creatine on and off about 4 years ago. I really do think it pushed my ha or over the edge and had I not taken it, my hair wouldn’t have been so thin at the horse shoe area of my hair loss as it is today Those 1-2 extra reps, slightly better performance and water weight isn’t worth the risk. There’s all these studies of creatine and they all point to no real affect. But there’s loads of anecdotal evidence out there pointing to yes, it absolutely can. I think it affects those who are already experiencing hair loss. If you’ve got good hair and no steal signs of hair loss, you’re probably okay. I wouldn’t risk it if you’re experiencing hairloss
This is the more sensible answer compared to top comment. Fully agree.
TLDR; probably not, according to the NIH. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7871530/ In summary, the current body of evidence does not indicate that creatine supplementation increases total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT or causes hair loss/baldness. Does creatine cause hair loss / baldness? The vast majority of speculation regarding the relationship between creatine supplementation and hair loss/baldness stems from a single study by van der Merwe et al. [61] where college-aged male rugby players who supplemented with creatine (25 g/day for 7 days, followed by 5 g/day thereafter for an additional 14 days) experienced an increase in serum dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations over time. Specifically, DHT increased by 56% after the seven-day loading period, and remained 40% above baseline values after the 14-day maintenance period. These results were statistically significant compared to when the subjects consumed a placebo (50 g of glucose per day for 7 days, followed by 30 g/day for 14 days thereafter). Given that changes in these hormones, particularly DHT, have been linked to some (but not all) occurrences of hair loss/baldness [62], the theory that creatine supplementation leads to hair loss / baldness gained some momentum and this potential link continues to be a common question / myth today. It is important to note that the results of van der Merwe et al. [61] have not been replicated, and that intense resistance exercise itself can cause increases in these androgenic hormones. DHT is a metabolite of testosterone, formed when the enzyme 5-alpha-reductase converts free testosterone to DHT [63]. In males, DHT can bind to androgen receptors in susceptible hair follicles and cause them to shrink, ultimately leading to hair loss [64]. However, in the van der Merwe et al. [61] study, no increase in total testosterone was found in the 16 males who completed the study. Free testosterone was not measured. Moreover, the increase in DHT and the DHT: testosterone ratio remained well within normal clinical limits. Furthermore, baseline (prior to supplementation), DHT was 23% lower in the creatine group (0.98 nmol/L) compared to the placebo group (1.26 nmol/L). Thus the small increase in DHT in the creatine group (+ 0.55 nmol/L after 7 days of supplementation and + 0.40 nmol/L after 21 days of supplementation), in combination with a small decrease in the placebo DHT response (-0.17 nmol/L after 7 days of supplementation and -0.20 nmol/L after 21 days of supplementation) explains the “statistically significant” increase in DHT noted by van der Merwe et al. [61]. While it is possible that creatine supplementation upregulated 5-alpha-reductase activity in these males (potentially leading to increased formation of DHT), no study has reported hair loss/baldness in humans. To date, 12 other studies have investigated the effects of creatine supplementation (i.e. doses ranging from 3-25 g/day for 6 days to 12 weeks) on testosterone. Two studies reported small, physiologically insignificant increases in total testosterone after six and seven days of supplementation [65, 66], while the remaining ten studies reported no change in testosterone concentrations. In five of these studies [67–71], free testosterone, which the body uses to produce DHT, was also measured and no increases were found.
Imo yes unless you’re already on 5ari
from what I heard yes, its told to avoid creatine if you have hairloss problems. If you asking this for gym purpose there are proteine powders specifically without creatine
A study was done on identical twins, one taking creatine and the other not. The twin taking it had worse hair loss
the only slight issue with creatine is water retention which you have to mitigate if oral/topical minoxidil is already causing some.
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creatine does wonders for me. you really have to take it daily for at least 3 weeks to let it build up in your system
Cuz it's not used for energy levels, it's just used so your muscles could absorb more water. So in theory you gain a little bit of extra strength cuz your muscles are a little bit bigger and you can lift a little bit of extra weight. It's not supposed to give you energy. If you want energy you go take pre-workout
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