Voice Refinement
What is Voice Feminization?
Voice is a form of energy, and when the source producing voice vibrates, it gains energy and generates sound waves. The human voice is produced through the coordinated activity of the lungs, the larynx (located at the top of the trachea), and the mouth and nose.
During the respiration phase, air is expelled from the lungs and travels into the trachea, where it causes the vocal cords in the larynx to vibrate, producing the initial voice (phonation). The vocal cords vibrate at a rate of 100-150 times per second in men, 200-250 times per second in women, and around 400 times per second in infants.
Voice feminization surgery focuses on altering the vocal cords to either increase their tension or decrease their mass, resulting in a higher-pitched voice. Some of the primary surgical techniques performed by Dr. Azizli include:
- Cricothyroid Approximation (CTA): This technique tightens the vocal cords by repositioning the cricoid and thyroid cartilages, effectively raising the pitch of the voice.
- Wendler Glottoplasty: In this procedure, the vocal cords are reshaped to shorten their length, which also raises the pitch.
- Laser Assisted Voice Adjustment (LAVA): A minimally invasive procedure that uses laser technology to thin the vocal cords, achieving a higher pitch.
The raw voice formed in the larynx is shaped in the throat, nose, and oral cavities to create a unique tone of voice (resonance). This resulting tone is then converted into speech sounds by the articulatory organs, including the lips, teeth, tongue, palate, nasal cavity, larynx, pharynx, and nose (Articulation).
1 Session
3 Days
Lifetime
1 Hour
5 Days Later
General Anesthesia
5 Days
What is Voice Feminization?
Many people seek aesthetic interventions to change their voice tones when they feel their voices don’t align with their gender, status, or physical characteristics. This is especially true for individuals undergoing gender transition, women experiencing hormonal imbalances or those who have undergone hormone treatment, as well as women whose voices have thickened due to smoking from a young age. These individuals often seek voice feminization to address social or psychological challenges. Additionally, professionals such as announcers, presenters, voice actors, politicians, executive candidates, and faculty members frequently request voice aesthetics to enhance their vocal quality.
With advancements in the field of medicine, the pitch of the human voice can now be adjusted through surgical interventions. These procedures involve altering the vocal cords, and the voice is restructured through intraoral procedures or small incisions made in the neck. To feminine the voice, it is necessary to shorten, slim down, or increase the tension of the vocal cords.
What is Loudness?
Sound has 3 characteristics: loudness, intensity and timbre. The sound characteristic that causes a sound to be characterized as thin or thick is the loudness of the sound (pitch). If the frequency of sound waves is high, the sound is thin, if it is low, the sound is thick. The loudness of the sound depends on 3 different qualities of the vocal cords:
The length of the vocal cords: As the length of the vocal cords shortens, the amount and frequency of vibration increases. As the frequency increases, the sound becomes thinner.
Thickness of the Vocal Cords: As the vocal cords become thinner, the amount and frequency of vibration increases. The sound becomes thinner.
Tension of the Vocal Cords: As the vocal cords are stretched, the amount and frequency of vibration increases. The voice becomes thinner.
The fundamental frequency of the voice is expected to be below 120 Hz in healthy men and above 150 Hz in healthy women.
Frequently Asked Questions
The results of voice feminization surgery are usually permanent. However, the individual's vocal habits, lifestyle and other factors can affect these results.
The healing process can vary from individual to individual, but usually takes several weeks. It may take time for the voice to fully recover and achieve the desired tone.
