Selena Gomez is issuing a stark warning to fans tempted by vaping: think twice. The Only Murders in the Building star revealed on her Instagram Stories on Sunday, October 18, that a past nicotine vaping habit noticeably altered her voice.
The singer described the addiction as exceptionally tough to break and confirmed she has since quit and urged her followers to avoid the habit altogether, stressing that the consequences simply aren't worth it.
“I’m not gonna be able to change my voice. I vaped nicotine a lot,” the 34-year-old said in the video. “Nicotine is so hard to quit and I think I just wanted to say, if you're going through it or if you're even trying to vape, it's just not worth it. It's so stupid and it's changed my voice,” she said.
Gomez also opened up about how challenging it has been to quit nicotine, while remaining optimistic about maintaining her progress and staying nicotine-free.
“I am really excited because I stopped and I just hope we can keep it up,” she said. “It's really hard but I know if you are going through something, you can get through it too. It sucks.”
Her comments have drawn renewed attention to previous speculation about changes in her voice. During an Instagram Live in December 2025, Gomez addressed the issue, explaining that her throat sometimes swelled internally, though she did not link the symptom to vaping.
What vaping really does
Vaping is less about enjoying nicotine and more about regulating emotion. It offers a five-second, micro-pause in a hyper-connected world, masquerading as relief while quietly deepening dependency.
While often marketed as a clean alternative to smoking, vaping carries significant, direct risks to vocal health. The primary culprits are the base liquids, propylene glycol and vegetable glycerin, which act as humectants that actively strip moisture from the delicate mucosal lining of the throat and vocal folds. Inhaling these heated aerosolized chemicals leaves the vocal cords abnormally dry and prone to severe friction during speech.
Combined with micro-particles and chemical flavorings, the intense heat triggers localized inflammation and cellular stress, leading to a condition known as vocal fold edema (swelling).
This ongoing swelling and dehydration fundamentally alter how the vocal cords vibrate. Because swollen vocal folds become heavier and stiffer, they struggle to close smoothly, resulting in a raspy quality, a drop in vocal pitch, chronic hoarseness, and a loss of upper vocal range.
Furthermore, the chronic throat clearing and dry coughing caused by vapor irritation repeatedly slam the vocal cords together, escalating the mechanical trauma. Over time, this persistent strain can cause structural changes like calloused nodules, polyps, or fluid accumulation (Reinke’s edema), turning temporary voice raspiness into permanent damage.
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