Testosterone therapy and voice changes: what trans users get right and wrong

What did @squxid actually say?

The creator shared a personal update after stopping testosterone (T) roughly eight months into their regimen, due to cost. Their core claim: voice deepening and bottom growth are permanent, body hair is largely permanent, but fat redistribution reverses after stopping T. They ended with a broad takeaway that "most things other than your voice will go back to normal if you stop taking testosterone." That last line deserves scrutiny.

The video is personal testimony, not medical advice, and the creator frames it that way. Still, with 81.8K views and a trans youth audience likely watching, the accuracy of what sticks versus what fades matters enormously. Some of what they said is well-supported. Some of it is oversimplified in ways that could mislead people making real decisions about discontinuation.

Does the science back this up?

Partially, yes. The permanent effects they listed, voice deepening, clitoral enlargement (bottom growth), and increased body hair, are consistently documented as irreversible in the literature. Fat redistribution reversal is real but more complicated than the video implies.

A 2021 study by Klaver et al. in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism documented that voice changes after testosterone therapy in transgender men are largely irreversible due to laryngeal cartilage growth and vocal fold thickening, structural changes that do not reverse with hormone cessation. Clitoral enlargement is similarly permanent, driven by androgenic tissue growth (Hembree et al., 2017, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism). Body hair is more nuanced: existing terminal hair typically persists, but growth progression halts or slows after stopping T, which is consistent with what the creator described. On fat redistribution, the evidence suggests reversal is real but gradual and incomplete for some individuals, not a clean reset (Gooren and Bunck, 2004, European Journal of Endocrinology).

What did they get wrong (or right)?

The creator got the big-ticket items right. Voice, bottom growth, and body hair persistence are all scientifically supported. Credit where it is due: this is more accurate than a lot of T-related content on TikTok.

Where they went wrong is the sweeping conclusion that "most things will go back to normal." That framing understates several changes that may persist or only partially reverse. Menstrual cycle return after stopping T is common but not universal and can take months to years, with some individuals experiencing prolonged amenorrhea (Light et al., 2014, Obstetrics and Gynecology). Skin texture changes, including increased oiliness and acne patterns, may partially persist. Psychological and mood-related changes are not addressed at all, and the research here is genuinely mixed. The creator also does not mention that duration of T use before stopping influences what reverses, which is a real gap. Eight months is a relatively short course. Someone who was on T for five years may have a meaningfully different reversal profile.

What should you actually know?

If you are considering stopping testosterone, the timeline and completeness of reversal depend heavily on how long you were on T, your dose, your age, and individual biology. This video reflects one person's experience at roughly eight months, which is on the shorter end.

Permanent changes supported by consistent evidence include: voice lowering, clitoral enlargement, and established terminal body hair. Changes that typically reverse but on variable timelines include: fat redistribution, menstrual cycle, and some skin changes. The creator's experience of fat returning to a more "feminine" distribution within their discontinuation window is plausible and consistent with the literature, but "back to normal" language erases the fact that reversal is often incomplete or takes longer than implied.

One thing missing from this video entirely: the mental health dimension. Research on psychological wellbeing after involuntary T discontinuation, particularly due to financial barriers, is limited but the stress of forced stopping is a real clinical concern that providers should address (Restar et al., 2019, LGBT Health).

If cost is a barrier, speaking with a telehealth provider about patient assistance programs, generic formulations, or lower-dose options is worth doing before stopping cold.