Yahoo Lifestyle The Surprising Place People Are Getting Botox—and What Doctors Think About It
Like many women, I have a pair of high heels collecting dust in my closet. They are too lovely to throw away but too painful to wear without looking like I’m limping. I figured my heels would never see the light of day, but then TikTok users uncovered a top-secret celebrity trick.
Stiletto Botox (also known as the high heel lift or "foot Botox") is trending on TikTok for its miraculous ability to make foot pain disappear. The 20-minute procedure is rumored to be why celebrities like Nicole Kidman have been able to walk the red carpet for hours with outrageously high heels.
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Dr. Kristy Hamilton, MD, FACS, a plastic and reconstructive surgeon and chair of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Social Media Subcommittee, says doctors have been using Botox for years now to treat heel pain caused by conditions like plantar fasciitis and hyperhidrosis, which creates excessive sweating in the foot soles. “Incidentally, patients also noted that pain from wearing heels subsided after use,” she adds.
The 20-minute procedure sounds like a game-changer for shoe lovers. But is it too good to be true? Or will the side effects (and price tag) have you shaking in your boots? Plastic surgeons weigh in.
Related: Christina Aguilera Shares Damage High Heels Did to Her Body
How Does Stiletto Botox Work?
Though stylish and sophisticated, high heels are not a practical choice of footwear. Research on high heel pain found that women experience a progressive increase in foot pain after 3.5 hours, especially when wearing three-inch heels or higher. Pain mainly centers on the heel bone and bones in the mid-foot.
Stiletto Botox works to numb the pain and muscle tension from the soles of the feet from wearing heels for too long. Hamilton says Botox injections can be combined with a hyaluronic acid-based dermal filler to "cushion" the balls of the feet.
Stiletto Botox generally lasts three to six months. Though the length of time varies per person, Hamilton notes that combining Botox with dermal-filler injections can extend the benefits from six months to a year.
“We generally think of Botox as a medication that blocks the connection between nerves with muscles, relaxing muscles and, therefore, movement,” Hamilton explains. “However, there is an increasing body of research that indicates that Botox also acts on the nerves that carry the pain signal.”
Related: Everything You Need to Know About Botox vs. Fillers
How Much Does Stiletto Botox Cost?
Depending on how much Botox is being injected, people should expect to pay up to a few thousand dollars.
Another thing to consider is the cost-to-benefit ratio. Stiletto Botox generally lasts three to six months. However, the length of time varies per person. Hamilton notes that combining Botox with dermal-filler injections can extend the benefits from six months to a year.
Related: 27 Best Shoes for Standing All Day
Is Stiletto Botox Worth The Hype?
Dr. Corey Maas, MD, FACS, a plastic surgeon of the Maas Clinic and former president of the American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, is skeptical of using Botox on feet, considering that its benefits on foot pain relief have not been proven in clinical trials. One concern is that it could actually worsen foot pain in the long term.
“Botox itself may reduce intrinsic foot muscle spasm in some cases, but this is difficult to identify, and widespread muscular flaccidity could result in some degree of imbalance or other unwanted side effects that might cause injury,” Dr. Maas explains.
Dr. Hamilton agrees that Botox may not be for everyone with foot pain, especially if the source of discomfort is fractures, sprains or loss of soft tissue support. If a lack of padding is the reason behind foot pain, she says people would benefit more from fat transfer to the soles of the feet than Botox. That treatment is semi-permanent and more robust than temporary relief with fillers.
Related: Here's How Long Fillers Last—and How Much They Cost
Though Botox to the feet numbs the pain, Dr. Hamilton cautions against abusing the procedure. Wearing heels with no support for prolonged periods will only worsen foot health over time and possibly make Botox less effective.
“Similar to facial aesthetic Botox, the Botox will continue to work as long as the underlying cause of the pain remains the same,” Hamilton warns. All in all, it doesn’t hurt to get a consultation from a plastic surgeon to explore your options—or to switch to flats, wedges or orthopedic footwear periodically.
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Sources
"Stiletto Botox: Comfort Meets Beauty in High Heels." TikTok.
"Transient pain and discomfort when wearing high-heeled shoes." Scientific Reports.
