Eesha Kulkarni

With the recent resurgence of high heels in the fashion space after two years of wearing work-from-home-appropriate fuzzy socks and slippers, style trendsetters are resorting to foot botox to adjust to their toe-pinching towering shoes. Given our return to the office and other in-person gatherings, fashionistas are turning to foot botox to make their shoe-wearing experience more comfortable. According to reports, dermatologists are seeing a rise in patients seeking foot botox to treat high heel-induced foot pain.

Did you know that your feet contain 26 bones and joints that support your body’s weight and allow you to stand, balance, walk, and move? Although they are the foundation of your body, foot care is often overlooked compared to other parts of our body such as our face. However, what was once “solely” meant to treat the face can now be used on your feet as well.

The trendy foot treatment not only reduces signs of ageing but also provides therapeutic benefits for the feet. Dermal fillers and botox have revolutionised aesthetic medicine through non-surgical alternatives to face and body issues, and this includes the feet. Crazy, right?

What is foot botox?

Botox is often used for non-cosmetic purposes such as excessive sweating, chronic migraines, overactive bladders and to treat jaw pain. Similarly, foot botox is a procedure that involves administering injections of this muscle tranquiliser directly into the feet to combat sweating, wrinkles and pain. When the nerves are blocked by neuromodulators like botox, they are unable to send signals to the sweat glands to become active. The result is a significant reduction in sweating in the treated areas, making it more enjoyable to wear gorgeous albeit painful shoes.

Doctors are also injecting dermal filler—the same kind used to restore volume to the face—into the balls of patients‘ feet for added cushioning. These fillers protect the soft tissue nerves, bones, and joints from the repeated stress that comes from wearing high heels. The treatment creates a pillow-like area of comfort for your feet in the heels.

Thanks to botox’s muscle-relaxant effects, it can also be used to reduce foot pain. When injected in just the right place, a shot of botox apparently paralyses the muscles on your heel bone and makes it more tolerant to pain, alleviating shoe-related discomfort.

How long does foot botox last?

Similar to face botox, this effect lasts for around four months. However, getting it regularly may cause the effects to last for longer periods of time with each use. Botox paralyses the muscles so you can’t use them, and if muscles aren’t used, they get shorter and smaller. This means that you may need fewer botox treatments over time to get the same effect.

So, should you consider getting foot botox done?

While it might seem like an extreme measure to take in the name of vanity and fashion, foot botox does seem like the logical way to go if you’re suffering from pain and discomfort in your feet (probably from years of wearing stilettos).

Of course, the con is that these treatments come at a sky-high price and can range anywhere between hundreds and thousands of dollars depending on where you live. A pretty hefty investment for the sake of wearing high heels, we’d say. But, are you sold?