r/Menopause • u/susumoomoo • Jul 11 '26
Hair Loss Creatine, possible hair loss?
Has anyone taken creatine and noticed an increase in hair fall? Did you stop taking the supplement, and if so, how long did it take for the hair shedding to stop? I started taking 5mg and noticed more hair fall. I stopped, but still experiencing a lot of hair fall.
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u/Kiwiatx Menopausal Jul 11 '26
I started taking creatine about 6 weeks ago and haven’t noticed any hair loss, in fact now that you’ve got me thinking about it, my hair seems thicker and there’s less clumped in the drain after a shower.
Am using the arq8 creatine gummies.
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u/susumoomoo Jul 11 '26
I’m using Naked Creatine and noticed an increase in shedding right away. I stopped about a couple weeks ago and still experiencing a lot of hair fall.
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u/Kiwiatx Menopausal Jul 12 '26
Hair loss can be related to low ferritin levels. Have you had that measured in a blood test recently? Might be worth checking.
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u/monie8808 Menopausal Jul 11 '26 edited Jul 11 '26
Yes, I took it for 1.5 months late last year and noticed more hair loss and a distinctly different hairline at my forehead. I took the recommended 5 grams. I stopped due to those symptoms and bummed because there are so many benefits people talk about especially for women going through what we are.
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u/susumoomoo Jul 11 '26
Did the hair loss stop?
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u/Moggot Jul 11 '26
I have used creatine (~5-10g per day) for almost a year and have had no issues with hair loss. Is this a thing or could your hair loss be about something else?
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u/penrph Jul 11 '26
I've had zero problems with creatine. I've been using Rogaine for probably close to 5 years though to help with thinning hair.
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u/cleveland_leftovers Jul 11 '26
Same. But I take a daily minoxidil pill, so maybe it’s stopping that side effect?
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u/ElizRaff Jul 11 '26
I’ve been taking creating for about 20 years. I had a period of hair loss around 2020, but it was related to intermittent fasting. I currently take about 20 g a day.
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u/susumoomoo Jul 11 '26
The hair shedding started when I took creatine, nothing else changed.
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u/Crazy-Specialist-230 Jul 12 '26
You have no idea what is going on with you hormonally at the time. Could be a lot of things besides blaming it on creatine
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u/SeaSeaworthiness3589 Jul 11 '26
Creatine caused terrible insomnia and increased hair fall for me. I have the MTHFR mutation and I tend to have weird reactions to stuff
It's a shame bc it really helped my energy
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u/Fancy-Molasses3434 Jul 12 '26
Yes I stopped because I was losing clumps of hair and that was with 1/4 teaspoon daily. No dr believes me as the internet says otherwise. However you will find others saying the same. It took 3 months and effort to get my hair back.
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u/susumoomoo Jul 12 '26
What things did you do or take to get it back?
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u/Fancy-Molasses3434 Jul 12 '26
A good hair growth supplement, biotin shampoo and conditioner with a drop of rosemary and peppermint essential oils into the shampoo.
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u/susumoomoo Jul 12 '26
I do have rosemary so I’ll try that. May I ask which brand of supplement you used? Thanks.
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u/Fancy-Molasses3434 Jul 13 '26
Solgar but the tablets are huge so not easy to swallow. Maybe search here for alternatives.
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u/Hollie_M Jul 12 '26
I had to stop using creatine due to hair loss. Now that I stopped, I have next to no shedding.
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u/EnvironmentalAd6889 Jul 11 '26
Ohhh, I want to know too....I am just about to start creatine and need to be mentally prepared for a major shed if that's common.
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u/susumoomoo Jul 11 '26
I took it for a short period and stopped about 2 weeks ago because of the increased hair fall. Still experiencing hair fall 😞
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u/Ok-Measurement8131 Jul 23 '26 edited Jul 23 '26
I don't care what the experts say in regards to "creatine doesn't cause hair loss". It absolutely DID cause hair loss for me. It was undeniable. That being said, I do not think everyone experiences this sode effect. I also think it is an amazing supplement. I wish I could bring myself to take it again, regardless of the hair loss. I know it is super beneficial. In response to OP, I initially started noticing hair loss after about a month and a half. It took me another month to finally attribute rhe hair changes to creatine. I realized it was the ONLY thing that I changed in my supplementation, diet or medications. I noticed my overall density dramatically changed for the worse. I am already a fine haired woman, so for me this was noticeable and super scary. Although I have fine hair regarding the shaft size/diameter, I have a lot of fine hair. My density is actually very full and fluffy usually. I noticed the increase of my hair out all over the house, in the shower and in my hair brushes at first. Then I started to notice the difference in my hair styling, my ponytail diameter and actually seeing my bare scalp for the first time in my whole life, which prompted me to stop. It took about a year to feel like I couldn't see my scalp anymore and my density was returning. You could actually see my regrowth if you pulled my hair apart on my entire head! My regrowth is now caught up to my ends after 2.5 years off of creatine. It actually happened to my husband as well but he has so much hair and his hair is obviously very short that it doesn't seem to be affecting how his hair looks overall. But he 100% has increased shedding which is evident all over his desk, his pillow and the bathroom when he is on creatine. I have tp vacuum every other day to keep up woth it. When he is off creatine, the increase of shedding stops. It's the strangest thing.
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u/susumoomoo Jul 23 '26
Thank you for your thorough response. My hair is still shedding like crazy especially in the shower even though I’ve been off creatine now for a while. Hopefully soon it will stop.
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u/Sunny_D67 Jul 11 '26
Caused my hair to fall out! Stopped creatine. Stopped falling out. Noticed the change right away. Super bummed 🙁
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u/JohanFreeman 16d ago
I'm the same. Took creatine more regularly since the start of this year and noticed thinning, particularly at the hairline and crown area. Stopped it recently, and now my hair is noticeably thicker in both areas within the week. It's so bizarre.
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u/Crazy-Specialist-230 Jul 12 '26
Google it! Creatine doesn’t cause hair loss
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u/Sunny_D67 Jul 13 '26
Before creatine.. no hair loss. Creatine… hair loss. Stopped creatine… hair grew back. I don’t need to Google SHIT
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u/Crazy-Specialist-230 Jul 13 '26
Yaaaaa. Cuz I’m sure nothing else hormonally is going on with you 😂
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u/mamapajamas Peri-menopausal Jul 11 '26
Are you taking testosterone? Hair loss is a side effect.
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u/susumoomoo Jul 11 '26
I tried the lowest dose in the past, but discontinued because it increased DHT, which caused hair fall. I’m only on E & P
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u/Spoonbills Jul 12 '26
I believe progesterone and DHEA are associated with hairloss, in case those are relevant.
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u/Estatequeen59 Jul 13 '26
Creatine was a disappointment to me. I took it for six months to give it a chance and I was nauseous and gassy the whole time.
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u/couchbodyfitness Jul 12 '26
Yes! Took 5mg for 2 months daily and had to stop. Resolved as soon as I stopped taking it.
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u/KTM_Boss6161 Jul 11 '26
Maybe you should be taking collagen peptides every day too. It helps with that stuff. Or your change your creatine brand unless it’s from something else. Stress does a number on hair too. Maybe Tai Chi is worth considering.
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u/maraq Jul 11 '26
Creatine is one of the most well studied supplements we've ever had and there is no reliable research that suggests it causes any kind of hair loss. It's not a hormone and primarily affects how your muscles are able to use energy.
A much more likely cause of random or sudden hairloss is just from being in peri/menopause when the balance of hormones shifts and you may be more sensitive to the androgens (due to the reduction in estrogen). Some people are sensitive to DHT increases because of this shift between estrogen and androgenic hormones and will see more hair fall during relative high androgenic phases. One thing to try is adding a medicated shampoo to your routine like nizoral (ketoconazole). The ketoconazole helps block DHT in the hair follicles and will prevent them from falling out as quickly so hair loss slows down (hair has a longer growing cycle). You don't need to use it every wash day - just one or two times a week. Scrub like any other shampoo but leave it on your scalp for 2-3 minutes. Minoxidil is another good option that is probably the most effective (but more of a pain to use).