Can Testosterone Therapy Make Your Voice Deeper?

High testosterone (T) is often associated with a deeper, manlier voice. That’s because the vocal cords are sensitive to the male sex hormone and higher testosterone leads to a lower pitch.

For cisgender men whose natal sex and identity are both male, the physiological change in their voice occurs during puberty. That is the period when the natural T synthesis spikes and sexual characteristics develop.

For transgender men (female-to-male, FTM), testosterone therapy (TRT) is one of the best options to lower the frequency of the vocal pitch, making it deeper and comparable to cisgender males.

In fact, most trans-men share that the change in their voice is often the most satisfying effect of the therapy.

How testosterone changes the voice of transgender people

Studies reveal that there are receptors in the larynx that are sensitive to both male and female sex hormones.

By affecting these receptors, the male hormones testosterone and dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can increase the thickness of the vocal cords and cause voice masculinization.

Trials in transgender males report that one year of TRT can lead to a significant deepening of the voice, measured as a reduction in pitch frequency.

According to the participants, voice change is one of the most significant TRT effects and 77% were extremely satisfied with the result

Furthermore, the levels of testosterone achieved by the therapy correlated with voice frequency. According to studies, the change in voice depth caused by TRT can result in a drop of one octave.

This can significantly affect people who are also singers. They might not be able to reach certain high pitches as they used to before the treatment.

Furthermore, during the process of transition, a singer’s voice may become scratchy and hoarse, which can also affect their work.

How long does it take for testosterone to deepen your voice?

Scientists reveal that it takes about 3 months after the start of TRT until your voice gets noticeably deeper.

Furthermore, it takes 6-12 months or more until the effects of testosterone therapy on voice reach their maximum.

Higher doses of testosterone seemed to speed up the effect. Therefore, testosterone injections led to the quickest results – 6 months after the onset of TRT.

The mean pitch frequency amongst participants dropped by 60 Hz for the whole period of the study.

However, higher doses of T also increase the risk of side effects. If there are any adverse reactions, your doctor may advise discontinuing TRT.

Once you stop the therapy, studies reveal that some of the voice changes may be permanent. However, some reversal is also possible, especially if estrogen levels increase significantly after the therapy.

The most certain way to make your voice permanently deeper is surgery. The voice can get deeper by surgically increasing the thickness and length of the vocal cords or reducing their tension.

One of the most common surgical procedures is called relaxation laryngoplasty. The surgeons reconstruct part of the cartilage in the larynx, in order to reduce vocal cord tension and lower your pitch.

The method is relatively safe and carries the standard risks of an invasive procedure. Alternatively, surgeons may inject a silicone-like substance in your vocal cords to make them ticker, similar to the effects of TRT.

Does higher testosterone make your voice deeper?

According to a study on 40 healthy males, there is a negative relationship between circulating levels of testosterone and the fundamental frequency of the vocal pitch.

Scientists report that higher testosterone is linked to lower pitch frequency

Other signs that may indicate higher levels of T include increased muscle mass, thicker facial hair, frequent spontaneous erections, and high libido.

However, hormonal status is not the only factor that may affect these indicators. Every individual has a different receptor sensitivity to the effects of T and DHT.

Therefore, higher vocal pitch is not necessarily a sign of low T. Men with high levels of testosterone may have high frequency despite their hormonal status.

Can testosterone boosters make your voice deeper?

Testosterone boosters and other dietary supplements are not likely to increase testosterone levels in cis or trans men. Therefore they won’t make your voice any deeper.

According to an analysis of the ingredients in 50 different test boosters, only 25% of the components they contain may have some effects. However, the level of evidence is usually low and often biased.

Furthermore, about 10% of the ingredient could actually decrease T according to the scientists

On the other hand, anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS), usually contain testosterone or derivatives of DHT. Therefore, they stimulate the androgenic receptors and may lead to masculinization, including deeper voice.

However, AAS use is illegal and often accompanied by multiple risks of adverse reactions and long-term health problems.

As previously mentioned, surgery is another option to lower your vocal pitch. Yet, it is rarely performed in transgender men because TRT effects are satisfactory in the majority of the cases.

Voice therapy can also aid the process of masculinization, especially if you are not fully satisfied with hormone therapy results or you prefer to avoid TRT altogether.

If you are an FTM patient, a speech-language pathologist will implement different exercises that may help make your voice deeper. These include finding your most fitting pitch range or applying various techniques for relaxation, breath support, voice strengthening, and others.

Can testosterone deepen the voice in men?

According to evidence, cis-men normally have 60% longer vocal cords and 80Hz lower voice frequency compared to cis-women.

However, the exact frequency of a person’s voice ranges a lot depending on their hormonal status during puberty and throughout adulthood. Men with hypogonadism can experience a deeper voice after TRT by stimulating the receptors in the larynx, resulting in the thickening of the vocal cords.