Many people concerned with their nutrition like to take nutritional supplements to help them with their workouts. In the world of fitness, there is constant talk about perfecting your energy levels and metabolism. It's pretty standard for an athlete to take one or more supplements, often in shake form, to improve their performance.
Does the use of these supplements cause you to lose hair? Don't automatically make that assumption. Let's first take a look at what creatine is and how it performs in your body.
What is Creatine?
Creatine is one of the top ingredients for performance-enhancing supplements in the world. If you walk into your favorite health food store and pick up a powdered shake bottle, you'll probably see it listed in the ingredient list. Some people take creatine as a pill or vitamin regimen as well.
The human body naturally produced creatine in the kidneys and the liver. Although it exists in the human body, creatine is considered a non-essential nutrient that aids the production of energy.
So why is creatine so popular, anyway? For one thing, research shows that it has a role in creating muscle mass and strength. Increased muscle mass, in turn, increases your athletic performance.
Research continues to back the idea of using creatine to help improve muscle tone, increase neurological function, and improve athletic performance.
Is Creatine Related to Hair Loss?
Creatine can indeed be a culprit if you've started to lose your hair. It's great for athletic performance, but not-so-great if you're worried about thinning hair.
Creatine messes with your hormones. Research continues to show that creatine monohydrate increases the levels of dihydrotestosterone, which is a hormone essential to the hair growth cycle, which inhibits your hair from growing.
When you use a large amount of creatine, the dihydrotestosterone is increased so much in your body that hair follicles can't receive the nutrients they need. Without these nutrients, the hair can't develop the way it needs to. The result is that hair doesn't grow back after it is shed.
What Are Other Causes of Hair Loss?
If you're cranky about hair loss, blame your genes. Hair loss is hereditary and tends to spare women more than men. It's also just a normal part of getting old. About ninety percent of hair loss is a result of healthy aging in both men and women.
Hormones can play a big part in hair loss, too, primarily testosterone and thyroid hormones.
If you experience sudden hair loss, please take care of yourself and speak with your physician. A few blood tests can rule out a thyroid imbalance or hormonal disorder.
Hair Loss Solutions
We always notice the hair loss on our heads more than anyone else's. There are a lot of ways to cope with losing your hair, but if it bothers you, don't "do nothing." Everyone deserves to look and feel their best, and there are a lot of solutions that weren't available years ago.
Many men will opt for hair transplants. They look and feel natural because they are your hair! There are several different kinds of transplants available today. Follicular Unit Grafting (FUG), also called Follicular Unit Transplantation (FUT), is considered one of the most popular ways to treat hair loss. It offers you the option to maximize your hair coverage with multiple grafts in one session. There are other transplantation methods available to you as well.
Another option that is especially popular with women is different types of hair restoration systems, some of which are matched to your scalp to make them look completely natural.
What Should You Do About Hair Loss Caused by Creatine?
If you suspect that your hair loss is caused by creatine, you can choose to stop taking the supplement and wait several months for your hair cycle to complete again. There is no guarantee that your hair loss is supplement-related or that your hair will grow back to the way it used to be.
No one has to accept hair loss if they don't want to. In this day and age, there are many solutions available to help with hair restoration. Get back to feeling and looking like yourself. Contact us for your free consultation and to learn what options are available to you.
