Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsAnatomySizeFunctionChanging the SizeShaving the Adam’s AppleEnhancement
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Anatomy
Size
Function
Changing the Size
Shaving the Adam’s Apple
Enhancement
An Adam’s apple is a visible bump at the front of a person’s throat made up of cartilage in front of thelarynx, or voice box. It protects the voice box.
This article explains the location, development, anatomy, and function of the Adam’s apple, and the hormone treatments and surgical techniques that can alter it.
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Anatomy of the Adam’s Apple
The medical term for an Adam’s apple is thelaryngeal prominence. When the larynx grows during puberty, the thyroid cartilage at the front of your throat needs space to expand and pushes out at a notch in the thyroid cartilage. It’s where the Adam’s apple is, and it’s larger in males.
Both males and females have a laryngeal prominence, but the angle at which the lump sticks out makes it more obvious in males.Surgeries to change the shape are common intransgenderpeople. Reducing the size of an Adam’s apple is calledchondrolaryngoplasty.
Size of the Adam’s Apple
The size of an Adam’s apple will vary with the individual, with no real change until puberty.
A 2021 study of 79 adults, ages 18 to 60, found the median size of the prominence was 0.16 millimeters in males and zero in females. Nearly 56% of the males had an Adam’s apple that was bigger, and about 22% of the females did, too.
An Adam’s apple is so closely associated with masculine features that it’s considered a secondary sex characteristic, just like having facial hair or having a deep voice.However, some females also have a visible Adam’s apple.
Function of the Adam’s Apple
The Adam’s apple bump itself has no purpose. But thelarynx, which requires changes in the Adam’s apple when it develops, is an important organ that helps people breathe, swallow, and speak because the vocal folds attach to the thyroid cartilage at the notch.
Although the thyroid cartilage protects the voice box, it is not really needed for speech production.Vocal cords, the two small sets of tissue in your larynx that open and close for breathing and vibrate with speech or singing, play that role.
The larynx also plays a role in protecting your airways. Larynx muscles help to close theepiglottis, a flap of cartilage that keeps food from entering your lungs.This preventsaspiration, a condition where food or liquid enters your lungs, which can cause pneumonia and other complications.
Changing the Size of Your Adam’s Apple
The angle also is more visible in the thyroid cartilage of males when compared with females generally, although some studies find the angle decreases with age in adult males.
Sometransgenderor female individuals who have a prominent Adam’s apple opt to undergo surgery that can reduce the size and appearance of the Adam’s apple. This is known as a “tracheal shave” even though the trachea is not involved.
It’s considered safe, with a 2019 review reporting that a hoarse voice was the most common complication, typically resolving within three weeks.The Adam’s apple is considered a “giveaway” sign to identify males and females, so the cosmetic surgery can be important to quality of life.
The chondrolaryngoplasty is often performed alongside a procedure that can help give a higher-pitched, more feminine voice. It’s important to note, though, that surgery to change the voice is a different procedure.
Researchers who study Adam’s apple size suggest that a 2-millimeter laryngeal prominence may be considered a standard size for people undergoing male-to-female transition surgeries.
Enhancing the Adam’s Apple
The thyroid cartilage and voice changes were among the most-reported effects in 80% of the group during the first year of testosterone treatment.A surgery called thyroid cartilage enhancement also is an option. Surgeons remove cartilage from another site in your body and place it at the thyroid cartilage to build up the Adam’s apple.
To lower the voice, some people elect to have a vocal fold injection augmentation.
Healthcare providers typically follow the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) guidelines when planning surgeries and treatments.These guidelines can help you to understand what’s considered the standard of care and your eligibility for various options.
Understanding Insurance Requirements for Gender Affirmation Surgery
Summary
Many people seek to change the size and angle of the Adam’s apple, especially those seeking gender confirmation surgery to complete their transgender transformation. Several treatments and surgical procedures are considered safe and effective. Talk to your healthcare provider if you want to learn more about changing your Adam’s apple.
11 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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