Why Are Guys Injecting Testosterone Into Their Vocal Cords?

If you’re a man, you’ve likely thought about your testosterone levels at some point this year. Over the past decade, T discourse has skyrocketed in the manosphere—and prescriptions for the sex hormone have shot up too (rising sharply in the United States between 2021 and 2025, according to the research firm Epic Research). The message—imparted by a motley chorus of influencers and public figures—has been simple (albeit scientifically shaky): the higher the testosterone, the more manly.Now, T-maxxing has taken yet another turn. This spring, Chadwan Al Yaghchi, a consultant otolaryngologist and ENT surgeon at the London Voice and Swallowing Clinic, claims to have become the first to perform a testosterone injection into a cis man’s vocal cords in the UK. While the procedure isn’t brand new (otolaryngologists have already been doing it in the US and Al Yaghchi began offering it to trans patients last year), demand seems to be building among cis men.The fact that there’s an appetite for this type of procedure shouldn’t surprise anyone. TikTok is now awash with influencers spewing tips about how guys can sound more manly, while apps such as VoiceMax profess to help users “Talk like a Chad” and “Unleash your Most Muscular, Attractive Voice!” The perceived benefits of a lower-pitched voice are not totally unfounded. Research indicates that both men and women perceive deeper voices as more dominant. Other studies have shown that people are likely to view men with lower-pitched voices as more effective CEOs—and more likely to win in a fist fight. But is injecting testosterone into your neck safe? Can it deliver real results? And who is actually doing this? GQ spoke to experts about everything you might want to know about the latest voice-deepening procedure.How does it work?First let's go over some basic vocal anatomy first. In your voice box, you have two smooth muscular bands called vocal folds, which vibrate to create your voice. Their length, thickness and tension all contribute to the pitch, in esssence: how deep your voice is. Here’s where testosterone comes in: a tiny amount of the hormone is injected into the vocal fold muscle under local anesthetic, intending to thicken the vocal cord. If successful, this can lower the pitch, giving you a deeper voice. A standard course may be four injections, with two weeks between each.What are the results like?It’s early days, but they’re looking good. Al Yaghchi says that he’s seen “a consistent drop in pitch of between 15–30 Hz”, while earlier case reports are also promising. One 2023 study by researchers at the University of California documented successful “voice masculinization” results in two trans male patients—without any reported side effects. Another 2025 study reported that a 28-year-old cis guy “achieved his desired access to a lower pitch range” after two testosterone injections, “while providing the possibility of permanent voice quality change.”Who is getting this procedure?“How you’re perceived in a professional environment is often the biggest driver for this,” says Al Yaghchi; there’s a “general feeling that having that deeper, richer voice will give you that authority.” He says he’s done the procedure on about twenty men so far, most of whom are in “high-demand jobs”—such as senior roles in finance and property—and are looking for “extra confidence” at work.How safe is it?T injections in this area are generally safe, according to Dr. Simon Best, an associate professor of Otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “The concept of injecting into vocal cords is something that we have been doing in our field of voice surgery for a very long time,” he says. What’s new is the testosterone, but unlike testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), only a small amount of the hormone enters the bloodstream.That being said, putting a foreign material in the body always comes with risks. “It's like receiving an injection anywhere else,” says Al Yaghchi. “There is risk of bleeding, infection, and an inflammatory response within the vocal cord.” He adds that patients will often experience hoarseness after the treatment—like “a bad laryngitis”—but this is “normally short-lived.”While it should (hopefully) go without saying, this is absolutely not one to try at home. The vocal cord “is an exceptionally delicate area,” Al Yaghchi says. “It takes a lot of skill to get the needle in the right spot.” Needless to say, any injection could have a significant impact on your health and well-being, so you should consult medical professionals before making any decisions.Are there any other voice-deepening options?Absolutely. But it’s worth doing a bit of self-reflection before embarking on a voice-deepening journey. “If there are other things going on in [someone’s life] that are actually expressing themselves in this focus on their voice, then those things need to be dealt with,” says Professor Martin Birchall, ENT Surgeon and Professor of Laryngology at UCL and UCLH NHS Trust.If someone does decide that they’d like to proceed with voice-deepening techniques, a totally non-invasive option is voice therapy. Professor Birchall says that Christella Antoni Voice and Speech Services is “absolutely world class”—and Tori Burnay’s group is “very good at it too.” If a patient is still unhappy with their voice, surgery is also possible. You can get a Type III Thyroplasty or an extended window laryngoplasty, both of which require a small incision in the front of the neck. These invasive procedures can achieve a pitch drop of up to 50 Hz, but the procedure is more expensive, and you’d need a general anesthetic. There are also risks involved, such as vocal “roughness” and reduced projection. Again, chat to your doc before taking the plunge with any voice-changing procedures.A version of this story originally appeared in British GQ.