What Is Creatine? Creatine is a popular nutritional and sports supplement commonly used by bodybuilders and professional athletes to increase lean muscle mass, improve strength, and help muscles recover faster during exercise. You may have read that actually using creatine can lead to hair loss. But is this true? Does really creatine cause hair loss?
How Does Creatine Work? While creatine itself may not directly lead to hair loss, it may affect the levels of our hormone that does. But actual question that often arises is, are there any adverse effects of taking creatine? According to a study, the consumption of creatine may cause hair loss. However, there is no accurate and concrete evidence of it.
Keep reading to learn more about creatine, its benefits and side effects, Does really creatine cause hair loss. What the actual research says about its connection to hair loss.
This article perfectly helps you understand whether creatine plays a role in hair loss and if it does, perfect and natural ways to help prevent it. Read on to learn more.
Does Taking Creatine Cause Hair Loss?
Actually, there is not too much perfect evidence to indicate if one of creatine’s side effects is hair loss. Much of the evidence’s direct link is anecdotal, meaning it arises from personal experience or personal testimonies.
The single scientific bit of literature that actually and potentially connects creatine and hair loss was a study published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine in 2009.
So, evidently states in the study’s conclusion that before drawing an exact verdict, it actually needs further perfect investigation as the group was too small to establish the findings. The study merely illustrates a relationship between the consumption of creatine or creatine content and higher DHT levels. It does not exactly ratify a direct correlation between creatine and losing hair or even link the two.
Based on the study and the evidence, it would be actually inaccurate to suggest that taking creatine is a direct trigger for male pattern baldness or hair loss. Looking closely at DHT will give you a perfect and better understanding of how it contributes to the progression of hair loss in male adults.
Also Read – How to Lose Belly Fat Overnight, Best 7 Foods that Burn Belly Fat Fast
An increase in DHT alone does not cause your hair to thin and fall out at all. For creatine to have any tangible effect or side effect on hair loss, your body must be sensitive to DHT and genetics plays a large part too.
What is DHT? According to the American Hair Loss Association, DHT is an androgen (hormone) that really plays a role in the development of male sex traits, including body hair—but high levels of DHT can easily lead to hair loss.
The exact reason for hair fall or hair loss is particular to each individual. Typically, you can blame factors like age, genetics, and hormones. Rarely does creatine cause hair loss. No need to blame creatine only. For now, anyway.
Creatine and Hair Loss: What the Research Says
There isn’t much and exactly to indicate that creatine supplementation actually causes hair loss. In fact, much of the evidence for the link is real or anecdotal. This means that it actually comes from people’s personal testimony or experiences.
However, a small study in 2009 of college-age rugby players found increased levels of our hormone associated with hair loss following 3 weeks of a creatine supplementation regimen. This hormone is actually called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
Creatine and Dihydrotestosterone (DHT) Levels
DHT is a hormone that’s actually derived from another hormone that you may be familiar with — testosterone. DHT is also really more potent than testosterone.
How does DHT relate to hair loss?
Hair follicles actually have their own life cycle. A hair growth phase is perfectly followed by a resting phase, after which the hair falls out.
DHT can exactly bind to specific hormone receptors in hair follicles. This can actually lead to briefer hair growth cycles as well as hairs that are thinner and shorter. Because there is actually less hair growth, more hairs are regularly falling out than are replaced.
Additionally, some people have a genetic predisposition to hair loss problems. Variations in a gene called AR can actually lead to increased activity of the hormone receptors found within hair follicles.
Also, the enzyme that properly converts testosterone to DHT may be more active in people with hair loss.
Creatine And Hair Loss In Men
Does creatine cause hair loss in females? Yes, creatine causes hair loss
To start with, DHT (dihydrotestosterone) is already present in your body naturally. As compared to women, men have actually higher levels of DHT, and it plays a part in the development of manly attributes like stronger bones, deeper voices, increased muscle mass and higher strength, etc.
Hence, akin to other hormones, DHT is not really intrinsically “bad” or “good.” Men can have undesirable sexual side-effects with low DHT and actually, it’s best not to lower DHT levels to prevent hair loss without any treatment or proper consultation.
In other words, in the grand scheme of your hormone levels, creatine is just a little bit of a minor and unproven factor. Furthermore, no matter how high your androgen levels are, if you don’t have a genetic tendency towards baldness, then you’re resistant to balding.
Creatine And Hair Loss In Women
Hair loss problem is really more common in men than women. In comparison to men, the actual levels of DHT (dihydrotestosterone) and testosterone are lower in women, which makes hormonal hair loss uncommon. If it takes place, it’s perhaps because of some medical condition such as hyperthyroidism or polycystic ovary syndrome.
Thus, for women, hair loss due to creatine should be really less of a worry. Even if you link the increase in DHT to creatine, a healthy woman has insufficient circulating testosterone to perfectly produce a considerable quantity of DHT.
Is There Scientific Evidence Of Creatine Causing Hair Loss?
Prevent hair loss while taking creatine: Three is no research that suggests creatine directly causes hair loss. As we have discussed before, the study conducted in 2009 perfectly indicated that the consumption of creatine content or pure increases the DHT level in the cells, including hair follicles. So, indirectly creatine may cause hair loss or hair-related problems.
Other many reasons can also lead to hair related problems or hair loss, such as an unhealthy diet, excessive use of chemical products, dehydration, and aggressive brushing. Even some medical conditions like thyroid, scalp infections, alopecia areata, and stress can contribute to it.
How To Prevent Hair Loss Due To Creatine?
How to stop creatine hair loss? You can prevent hair loss while taking creatine.
Ayurvedic Herbs: In Ayurveda, hair loss actually occurs due to an imbalance of the three doshas – Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Individuals with Pitta dosha Prakriti are really more prone to hair loss due to an increase in the DHT level.
The actual effects of the hormone DHT can be a little bit or vaguely equated to the effects of Kapha and Pitta on the hair follicles. The exact understanding is that high levels of circulating Kapha occlude the blood vessels. At the same time, Pitta causes inflammation in the hair follicles triggering hair-related problems or hair fall.
Does Creatine or Anabolic Steroids Cause Hair Loss?
While creatine itself may not directly lead to hair loss but it may affect the actual levels of a hormone that does, which is called dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
We exactly can not say creatine directly causes hair loss but a study made in 2009, did find that creatine supplementation is actually associated with an increase in a hormone called dihydrotestosterone (DHT) which can really contribute to hair loss.
DHT is actually a male steroid hormone that’s derived from another active and sensitive hormone that is more known — testosterone. DHT is also stronger than the testosterone hormone.
As same as creatine; steroids also are thought to create actually male hair loss by causing the body to produce higher levels of dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
We can simply say having too much DHT in the body is one of the main causes of baldness in men.
The bottom line
In short, creatine may affect DHT levels, which is known to play the main role in hair loss in men who are predisposed to the condition. However, only a single study connected or linking creatine and DHT was not without flaws, namely, its size of content and the obscene amount of creatine the participants were taking. Further, nowhere within the study does it mention hair-related problems or hair loss.
There are numerous anecdotal stories online where men actually claim to have experienced thinning hair while taking creatine. The problem with these stories — there are near as many who claim they really experienced no such problems.
Parting words: Creatine is known to be a perfect and safe supplement that can aid in muscle growth and strength. The evidence potentially linking it to hair loss is thin, at best, and there’s a really good chance you can take the recommended amount and experience nothing but the most common side effect: water retention. If hair loss really is a concern there are things you can properly do to address it. You can easily prevent hair loss while taking creatine.
FAQs
Essentially, when you take creatine supplements in a regular basis, the conversion of testosterone to DHT easily increases in the system. The increased levels of DHT alter hair growth by quick or speeding up the cycle of each hair follicles, which can cause hair loss. Hence, taking creatine in your routine life cause hair loss in individuals over some time. It isn’t clear if the increase in DHT from taking creatine supplements can directly affect reproduction of your hair.
Stopping creatine supplements will easily deplete creatine stores in the body, particularly in muscle and the brain. This withdrawal can cause lethargy and fatigue lasting for near about 1 or 2 weeks. Feelings can be so slight and weak you may not recognize it’s occurring, before your body’s regular natural processes start up to usual levels again.
Taking a creatine supplement may affects on your hormone level and increase testosterone, which can really improve sex drive or more serious issues like erectile dysfunction. A supplement is likely much cheaper, easy to available and more simple to use than other methods to increase testosterone like a patch or injection.
Generally, a good number of famous weight lifters tend to add 4-7 pounds of weight in the initial days or first few days of using creatine. The weight gain is due to the water being pulled from the bloodstream and easily transported to the muscles. Because more water is easily transporting to the muscles, less water is available for the rest of the body. Therefore, proper step by step hydration is essential. Approximately, 6-8 cups of water are the average drinking amount when out of training. However, when properly supplementing with creatine, you should drink an additional near about 8-10 cups of water daily, or slightly more, depending on your exercise regimen.
Hi, My name is Helena and I’m a founder of HealtHowdy.com. Over the years I’ve helped hundreds of people to live a healthy and fit life. Nowadays, Fitness is everything, if you want to Look Attractive and Get Updated, you can Join Me. WhatsApp
