Men have porn and women have shoes. Show any woman a good-looking, tantalising pair and you will find her salivating. While some collect them in herds, others caress them every night before and a few will even sleep with them in bed (apart from Lady Gaga, we know a few in real life too). And almost most willingly go through the mind-numbing excruciating pain that accompanies a high heel. And now it takes scientific intervention to save a woman from high-heel sickness. The latest in the cesspool is a dermal filler injection.
Initially, saving women from wrinkly folds on the face, this technique uses hyaluronic acid to add extra cushioning on your toes, allowing longer comfort in heels. Dr Anup Dhir, senior cosmetic surgeon at Apollo Hospital elaborates on how the facial firming treatment has become popular with fashionable ladies, who can’t do without their heels. “It’s an injection that fills the toes and provides additional padding to the feet. Though, if you consider my opinion, one should rather refrain from over usage of high heels as after all, it is but a cosmetic application that does nothing for the orthopaedic problems that persist with wearing them,” he tells us. Women who wear heels with practised ease have always had their ways of reducing if not removing the discomfort from heel wearing. Tanisha Mohan suggests that buying good quality heels that have a platform base to remove the strain from the base of the foot, always helps. “I prefer a foot massage every time I step into them, but with the height heels are reaching these days, it’s not easy to escape the pain,” she says. She adds that that while this treatment will have conflicting opinions, as with any other cosmetic procedures, its popularity might increase word-of-mouth. “As more people are getting this treatment done, the trend might just grow,” she says.
Parichay Upadhyay who is the Director of New Look Laser Cosmetic Laser Clinic Centre, supports an upswing in the trend. “In the past year, there has been a 49 per cent increase in the number of female patients requesting the procedure and many are eager to ease the pain in their heels,” he says.
But whether the treatment finds any swish takers is yet to be seen. The young, stiletto toting fashionistas are wary about getting an artificial injection in the foot. Gitanjali Ranawat, a jewellery designer feels a lot depends on the cost of the treatment. “One can take simple measures like walking constantly and giving feet a break from time-to-time rather than go for such procedures,” she says.
Ankita Sahni, a media professional agrees. “I would rather choose sensible shoes like wedges and kitten heels to avoid the discomfort,” she says.