Foot Plastic Surgery Is All the Rage, but Is It Safe?

July 20, 2012 (New York City) -- Are toes really the new nose?

Media reports of an uptick in toe and foot plastic surgery suggest that there is nothing that we won't do to put our best feet forward (and of course, sport sexy, strappy, and often pricey shoes). This includes getting our toes shortened, liposuctioned, or removed altogether.

Liposuction may help slim toes so they fit in pointy stiletto toe boxes, and some women opt to shorten a toe or remove one altogether so that they are less snug in the toe box.

Others still are signing up for laser treatments to zap away foot fungus and/or permanently remove hair on their toes and feet. There is also a surge in what are being called "Loub jobs," a plastic surgery procedure that allows women to wear their pricey Christian Louboutin shoes without pain.

"Foot beautification is definitely a trend," says Wendy Lewis. She is a New York City-based beauty consultant and author of several books, including Plastic Makes Perfect. "Many of these foot concerns are directly related to the shoes we wear."

Not everyone is on board. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society is against cosmetic foot surgery of any kind. According to the group, foot complications, including permanent nerve damage, infection, bleeding, scarring, and chronic pain when walking, may occur. According to this group, "Cosmetic foot surgery should not be considered in any circumstances."

Cheryl Burgess, MD, is an assistant clinical professor of dermatology at Georgetown University and George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Her foray into the world of foot plastic surgery involved treating people with HIV. These individuals tend to lose fat in their faces and other parts of their body due to the cocktail of medications they must take.

Word got out, and soon Burgess was injecting fat or other fillers such as Sculptra into the feet of women who wanted to wear Christian Louboutin shoes.This treatment has been dubbed a "Loub job."

According to Burgess, another popular foot fix is Botox injections to treat hammer toes. With hammertoes, there is a bend in the middle joint. She also uses Botox to curb excessive and often smelly sweating of the feet. It is already approved to treat excessive underarm sweating.

Originally posted here:
Happy Feet: Plastic Surgery for Best Foot Forward