Does creatine cause hair loss or weight gain? The evidence

Where the creatine hair-loss worry comes from, what newer trials found, and why the weight you gain on creatine is water in muscle rather than body fat.

Reviewed by Geir Liang, cand.med., medical reviewer

Written by 4 HIM & HER editorial team · Updated 13 October 2026 · 5 min read

A man checking his hairline in a bathroom mirror, with a glass of water on the shelf below

The short answer

There is no good evidence that creatine causes hair loss. The worry comes from one 2009 study that measured a hormone, DHT, and never looked at hair; a 2025 trial that did measure hair found no difference. Creatine can add 1–2 kg on the scales, mostly with loading, but that is water held inside muscle, not body fat.

Does creatine cause hair loss?

The research so far says no. No study has shown that creatine makes people lose hair. The fear is real and widespread – it is one of the most searched creatine questions in the UK – but it rests on a single study that never measured hair at all.

Where does the creatine hair-loss myth come from?

In 2009, researchers in South Africa studied college rugby players who took creatine for three weeks – a week of loading at 25 g a day, then 5 g a day – and, in a separate period, a placebo. Twenty players took part and 16 completed it. The researchers measured hormones in the blood: testosterone did not change, but levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) rose compared with placebo, while staying within normal clinical limits.

DHT is a hormone made from testosterone, and in men who are genetically prone to it, it is linked to male pattern hair loss. So the jump was made: creatine raises DHT, DHT is linked to balding, therefore creatine causes balding. But the study did not look at anyone’s hair, no hair loss was reported, and the result has never been repeated.

What have later studies found?

A 2021 review of the research on creatine and testosterone found that most studies showed no change, and the few that did found small rises within normal limits. None reported hair loss.

In 2025 a 12-week randomised controlled trial tested the question directly. Resistance-trained men took 5 g of creatine monohydrate or a placebo every day. The researchers measured testosterone and DHT in the blood, and assessed hair density, hair thickness and the share of hairs in the growing phase. There was no difference between the groups on any hormone or hair measure.

Who should still ask a doctor about creatine and hair?

If you already have thinning hair or a strong family history of pattern baldness, or you are being treated for hair loss, it is reasonable to talk it through with your GP or a dermatologist. Hair loss has many common causes, including genetics, stress, illness, iron deficiency and thyroid problems, and the NHS advises seeing a GP if it is sudden, patchy or worrying you.

Does creatine make you gain weight?

It can make the number on the scales go up, but not because of fat. Creatine is stored in muscle, and it draws water into muscle cells with it. Many people see a rise of about 1–2 kg in the first week or two – roughly two to four pounds. Most of that happens with a loading phase, when people take around 20 g a day; at 3 g a day the change is usually smaller and slower.

Why did I gain 10 pounds after taking creatine?

Ten pounds is about 4.5 kg – more than water from creatine usually explains. Studies of loading phases typically find gains of 1–2 kg. If the scales have moved much more than that, look at what else changed at the same time: eating more, training harder, more salt or carbohydrate, or simply day-to-day swings, which can be a kilo or more on their own.

Weigh yourself at the same time of day, under the same conditions, and look at the trend over a few weeks rather than single readings.

Does creatine cause water retention or bloating?

Creatine holds extra water inside muscle cells. That is different from the water retention people usually mean – fluid under the skin that gives puffy ankles, fingers or a puffy face. Creatine is not known to cause that, and the research does not show it causes dehydration either.

Gut bloating is a different matter. Large single doses, especially 10 g or more, can upset the stomach and cause bloating or loose stools. Smaller daily amounts, taken with food, rarely do. More in Creatine side effects.

Is creatine bad for belly fat?

No. Creatine contains no calories worth counting and does not turn into fat. The extra water sits in the muscles you train, not around your middle. If your waist has changed, the cause is almost certainly elsewhere – food, drink, sleep or less activity.

Will creatine help me lose weight?

No. Weight loss and fat burning are not things creatine does, and you may weigh slightly more at first because of the water it holds in muscle. The NHS weight-loss advice – a balanced diet with fewer calories and regular activity – is the place to start if losing weight is your goal.

Does creatine boost testosterone?

No. Creatine is not a hormone and not a testosterone booster. Across the studies reviewed in 2021, most found no change in testosterone, and the 2025 trial found no difference between creatine and placebo. What creatine does is described in What does creatine do?

Frequently asked questions

Does creatine cause hair loss in women?

There is no evidence that it does. The hair-loss worry comes from one study in male rugby players that measured a hormone, not hair. Women with thinning hair should see their GP, as there are many common causes.

Does creatine make your face puffy?

Creatine holds water inside muscle cells, not under the skin of the face. A puffy face is more likely to come from salt, alcohol, poor sleep or hormonal changes.

Will I lose the weight when I stop taking creatine?

The water held in muscle goes as creatine stores fall back to normal, which takes about four to six weeks. Any change from fat or muscle is down to diet and training, not creatine.

Is the weight from creatine muscle or water?

At first it is mainly water stored in the muscles. Creatine does not build muscle on its own; any muscle you gain comes from training and diet.