Does Creatine Raise DHT? What a 12-Week Hair Trial Found

If hair loss is your hesitation about creatine, you can test it instead of guessing: take the same hairline and crown photos before you start and again every 4 weeks. The best direct evidence so far, a 12-week randomized trial, found no change in DHT or hair measures on 5 g a day, though it is small and short.^[1] Here is where the worry came from and what the two key studies actually measured.

Where the DHT worry came from

DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is a more biologically active androgen than testosterone, and the worry is that raising it could promote hair loss.^[2] In 2009, South African researchers gave 20 college-aged rugby players creatine or placebo in a double-blind crossover design with a 6-week washout between phases. The creatine phase was a loading week (25 g a day with 25 g of glucose) followed by 14 days at 5 g a day.^[2]

Testosterone did not change. DHT rose 56% after the loading week and stayed 40% above baseline after the 5 g maintenance period. The DHT-to-testosterone ratio rose 36%, then 22%.^[2] That is the source of the headlines.

What that study did not do is look at anyone’s hair. It measured blood hormones only, and its authors called for further investigation rather than claiming a hair-loss effect.^[2]

What a direct test of hair found

A 2025 randomized trial tested the hair question head-on. Forty-five resistance-trained men aged 18 to 40 took either creatine monohydrate (5 g a day) or a placebo (5 g of maltodextrin) for 12 weeks while keeping their usual diet and training. Thirty-eight finished. The researchers measured total testosterone, free testosterone and DHT, then assessed hair follicle health with a trichogram and an imaging system that tracks hair density, follicular unit count and cumulative hair thickness.^[1]

There were no differences between the creatine and placebo groups in DHT, the DHT-to-testosterone ratio, or any hair measure. Changes in total and free testosterone over the 12 weeks happened in both groups, so they were not due to creatine.^[1]

What neither study settles

• The two studies used different doses. The 2009 study raised DHT after a 25 g a day loading week, and DHT stayed 40% above baseline at 5 g a day. The hair trial used 5 g a day from the start and found no DHT change. Dose does not obviously explain the gap. Population and design differences are possible, and these studies cannot say.
• Twelve weeks is short. Pattern hair loss develops over years, so a clean 12-week result does not rule out slow changes in people who are prone to it.
• Small, young, male samples. The trials had 20 and 45 men, aged roughly 18 to 40. Results may not carry over to women or to men in their 50s and beyond.
• Genetic sensitivity was not the question. I read the abstracts and they do not say how many participants already had pattern hair loss or a family history of it, so I cannot tell you whether the people most at risk were tested.
• Hormone and hair results can differ. A change in a blood level does not by itself tell you what happens at the follicle, which is why the direct hair trial matters more than the 2009 hormone result.

What you can do with this

• Take baseline photos. Same lighting, same distance, hairline and crown, before your first dose. Repeat every 4 weeks. Your own trend beats a headline.
• You can skip the loading week if hair is a worry, but that is not a proven fix. The 2009 study raised DHT after a 25 g a day loading week, and DHT stayed 40% above baseline during 14 days at 5 g a day. The 12-week trial used 5 g a day from the start and found no change in DHT or hair measures.
• Decide your stop rule before you start. For example: if you notice clear thinning or more shedding than usual over 8 to 12 weeks, stop and see a clinician or dermatologist. Shedding a few strands is normal; losing hair in clumps is worth a check-up.
• Mention it to your clinician first if you have a family history of pattern hair loss, kidney problems or take regular medication.

For the wider picture on safety and benefits in midlife, see the Bettering Me post on creatine after 40. For why strength work matters in the first place, see what a 30-year study of 147,374 people found about strength training and longevity.

References

[1] Lak M, Forbes SC, Ashtary-Larky D, et al. Does creatine cause hair loss? A 12-week randomized controlled trial. J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2025;22(sup1):2495229. Population: 45 resistance-trained men aged 18 to 40 (38 completed). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/15502783.2025.2495229. Finding as used: 12 weeks of creatine monohydrate 5 g/day versus 5 g/day maltodextrin placebo produced no group-by-time differences in total testosterone, free testosterone, DHT, DHT-to-testosterone ratio, or hair outcomes (trichogram; hair density, follicular unit count, cumulative hair thickness). Limitations: small sample, young men, 12 weeks. ↑︎

[2] van der Merwe J, Brooks NE, Myburgh KH. Three weeks of creatine monohydrate supplementation affects dihydrotestosterone to testosterone ratio in college-aged rugby players. Clin J Sport Med, 2009;19(5):399-404. Population: 20 college-aged male rugby players, double-blind placebo-controlled crossover with 6-week washout. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1097/JSM.0b013e3181b8b52f. Finding as used: after 7 days of loading (25 g/day creatine with 25 g/day glucose) serum testosterone did not change while DHT rose 56%; after 14 days at 5 g/day DHT remained 40% above baseline (P < 0.001); DHT:T ratio rose 36% then 22%. Hair was not measured; authors called for further investigation. ↑︎

Kurt Greiner

Kurt is a digital strategist and IT professional blending emerging technology with practical application, exploring how individuals can leverage modern tools to navigate the second half of life with purpose.