Does Creatine Cause Hair Loss? The One Study Behind the Worry
It is one of the most searched creatine questions. The answer rests on a single small study, and it never measured hair.
Where the worry started
The idea traces to a single 2009 study of college rugby players. After a week of creatine loading followed by two weeks of maintenance, blood levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT), a hormone involved in male-pattern baldness, rose compared with placebo, while testosterone did not change.[1]
Myth check
What that study did not show
- It did not measure hair loss, hair counts or hair thickness.
- It had a small number of young men and lasted three weeks.
- It used a 25 g a day loading phase, five times a MemoryFuel scoop.
- It has not been replicated.
What later reviews concluded
A 2021 review of common creatine misconceptions concluded that current evidence does not show creatine causes hair loss, while noting that the single DHT finding deserves follow-up.[2] The ISSN position stand on creatine safety lists no hair-related adverse effects.[3]
If you are worried anyway
If male-pattern hair loss runs in your family and you are anxious about it, take baseline photos of your hairline and crown in consistent light, and compare after three months. Talk to a dermatologist if you see change; effective treatments for pattern hair loss exist and do not depend on whether you take creatine.
Quick questions on this topic
Is there proof creatine causes hair loss?
No. No study has measured hair loss from creatine. The concern comes from one small study that found a rise in DHT.
Should I avoid creatine if baldness runs in my family?
There is no evidence that you need to, but if you are worried, discuss it with a dermatologist and monitor your hairline.
Does MemoryFuel contain anything else linked to hair?
No. Its other ingredients are choline, magnesium, vitamin D3 and B12, none associated with hair loss at these doses.
Sources behind this page
Every link opens the original abstract or agency page. Most trials gave creatine or a single nutrient on its own, often at other doses; none tested the MemoryFuel blend.
- 1van 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. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19741313/
- 2Antonio J, Candow DG, Forbes SC, et al. Common questions and misconceptions about creatine supplementation: what does the scientific evidence really show? J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2021;18(1):13. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33557850/
- 3Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2017;14:18. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28615996/
Run a fair 90-day MemoryFuel trial
Checkout happens on the maker's ClickBank page. Mix one scoop a day exactly as printed, write down a simple recall score on day one, keep the receipt email, and if nothing has moved by about day 75, email the helpdesk while the 90-day window is still open.