Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? All You Need to Know

If you are considering muscle gain for your workout regimen, you might have considered taking creatine supplements. But does creatine cause hair loss? Let us find out!

While some individuals believe that creatine baldness is a real matter, scientific research suggests otherwise. As a matter of fact, the idea of creatine hair loss might come from a single study that is not highly conclusive.

Let us find out about creatine hair loss and its relevance deeply!

How Does Creatine Work?

Your body tends to produce creatine naturally. You also obtain it through consuming seafood and red meat and in the form of creatine supplements, buffered creatine, and creatine ethyl ester. 

As a dietary supplement, creatine can help in the following ways:

• Injury prevention
• Athletic performance in specific areas, including jumping, soccer, rowing, and sprinting
• Muscle power and strength 
• Gains in no-fat body mass
• Post-workout recovery

There are several ways in which creatine is known to improve athletic power and performance. Creatine enhances the stores of phosphocreatine, a stored form of energy, in your muscles during high-intensity workouts. These additional stores of energy improve the production of ATP or adenosine triphosphate, a substance responsible for providing energy for muscle movements. With more ATP in your body, you are able to perform better during your workout sessions. 

Connection Between Creatine and Hair Loss

A 2009 study on a group of young rugby players having creatine supplementation revealed that players had increased levels of DHT or dihydrotestosterone. DHT serves to be a metabolite of testosterone and is capable of binding to androgen receptors in males’ hair follicles.

Due to the connection between DHT and hair loss, the study led to the theory that creatine supplements can cause hair loss. However, there are several flaws in this theory:

• The size of participants was too small - only around 20 participants
• The increase in levels of DHT, along with the DHT testosterone ratio, remained within standard clinical limits.
• The study did not analyze free testosterone (the body uses it for producing DHT) 
• Intense forms of resistance exercise can cause an increase in levels of androgenic hormones.

Scientific Studies on Creatine Hair Loss

The creatine loss rumour is known to stem from a single study, as specified above, on a group of young rugby players. However, according to a detailed review of the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, none of the rugby players in the given study actually experienced hair loss after taking creatine supplements. 

To top it all, participants in the study who consumed creatine had baseline DHT levels around 23 percent lower than the placebo group. The measured increase in their DHT levels remained within standard limits. 

Understanding DHT and Hair Loss

DHT is a hormone that has a vital role to play in stimulating hair growth in men. While DHT is responsible for stimulating hair growth in the hair follicles, excessive DHT can be partly responsible for hair loss, under the influence of additional factors, like genetics. 

Tips for Safe Creatine Use

Creatine supplements are quite popular amongst sports enthusiasts and athletes who take them for performance-boosting and muscle-building benefits. Still, it is recommended to be cautious about supplementing creatine only under the guidance of your healthcare provider. 

Sometimes, under the influence of friends or other people, individuals consume creatine supplements without medical credentials. It is also important to understand that creatine supplements can have diverse effects on different individuals. What might be safe and effective for a certain group of people can have adverse effects on the other. 

Creatine supplements can be unsafe to take in certain conditions, especially if you are trying to lose weight or undergoing dehydration. There are several unknown outcomes as far as the effects of creatine are concerned. Creatine supplements might interact with certain medications, other supplements (like vitamins), energy products, or caffeine. Therefore, you should always have these supplements under the guidance of your healthcare provider.

Other Factors Influencing Hair Loss

Hair loss, or alopecia, is categorized as non-scarring or scarring. Scarring alopecia can cause permanent damage to hair follicles. On the other hand, non-scarring alopecia is more common and leads to hair loss that is local, patterned, or diffused. 

Some of the common factors contributing to hair loss are:

• Genetics
• Hormonal imbalances
• Thyroid disease
• Scalp infection
• Deficiencies in protein, biotin, zinc, or iron
• Scalp psoriasis

When to Consult a Professional

You can reach out to a healthcare professional about your hair loss symptoms if you are concerned about creatine hair loss. Whether you are experiencing rapid hair loss or gradual hair thinning, you can still encourage new hair growth. A medical professional runs tests to determine the root cause while recommending the right hair loss treatments to ensure a fuller hairline. 

Conclusion 

Hair loss can be a result of several underlying factors, including genetics, hormonal changes, or autoimmune diseases. Current research does not offer support to any links between creatine supplementation and hair loss.

FAQs

1. Can creatine directly cause hair loss?

As discussed above, creatine is not directly linked to hair loss. However, if you are experiencing hair loss, you can consult your healthcare professional.

2. What did the 2009 study on creatine and hair loss find?

The study revealed its observation on increased DHT levels with creatine supplementation. Overall, as per current evidence and research, creatine is deemed safe to be used in the form of a supplement for adults.

3. How can I minimize the risk of hair loss while taking creatine?

There are several drugs that manage the DHT levels in the body while controlling hair loss due to increased DHT levels. You can consult your healthcare professional regarding this.

4. Can increasing DHT levels cause hair loss?

Increased activity of DHT levels in your hair follicles can be responsible for hair loss, along with other underlying factors like genetics. Higher levels of DHT can shrink hair follicles while shortening the hair growth cycle.