Posts Tagged ‘Shoes’

Restylane Injections For Feet: Shoe Fashion Begets Function

Higher Heels Necessitate Restylane Injections

Its always a little odd when fashion directly influences plastic surgery or vice versa. Traditionally, cosmetic surgery has been used to enhance the body, making clothing look better as an added benefit. If one has a tummy tuck, its to make one’s stomach look more toned, not to make that extra-small designer t-shirt look better.

This, however, is quickly changing and footwear is certainly no exception. As popular styles of shoes change, the high heel is getting progressively higher. As most women know, the higher the heel is, the more strain is put on the legs, ankles and back. But plastic surgeons have developed a new way to combat the stress put on the ankles and feet: Restylane injections.

Yep, thats right. The minimally-invasive facial filler is now being used by doctors to add extra cushion and support for the foot and ankle area. Imagine, the comfort and ease with which you can walk in heels, for about 6-9 months, just from having a few injections of Restylane (or, in some cases, Juvederm) in your feet.

New York podiatric surgeon, Suzanne Levine, who teaches the $500 to $1,500 procedure to other doctors, claims she gets calls from patients, especially women in their 40s and older, who want to put the cushioning back in their feet so they can wear higher heels with less strain. But this doesn’t necessarily mean that high-heeled shoes are now perfectly harmless to a woman’s posture.

“It’s like you’re walking on stilts,” says Los Angeles podiatrist, Joshua Kaye. “The ball of your foot is up a couple of inches off the ground in platform shoes. That puts more pressure on the ligaments and soft tissue, instead of the bones.” According to Dr. Kaye, raising the heel more than 3 inches off the ground significantly increases the chances of a sprained or broken ankle, regardless of cosmetic assistance.