The evolution of Botox globally is a story full of surprises and twists. It was approved in the 1980s by the Food and Drug Administration of the United States for non-cosmetic uses, such as to treat eye disorders like blepharospasm (uncontrollable blinking) and strabismus (crossed eyes). Over the years, Botox has earned quite a reputation for being a neuromodulator that can iron out and minimise wrinkles and fine lines, tighten cheeks, and just make our skin look aesthetic.
In the uber-rich circles of New York, there are now private clinics offering bladder Botox—that can reduce your pee breaks, thus boosting your work productivity and preventing the super-rich from having to depend on public bathrooms.
Amidst all this, reports suggest that now foot Botox might be coming to the rescue of those who wish to make a roaring comeback to the world of high heels. The days of going to the local grocer, queuing up in nothing but our flip flops and messy hair, seem to be a sad relic of the pandemic. Say hello to the return of high heels and our complicated relationship with them.
The mechanism of foot Botox, in the way it reduces pain from high heels, is rather simple: Botox paralyzes the muscles on your heel bone; thus the Substance P neurotransmitter that regulates pain becomes inactive. According to cosmetic dermatologist Dr. Jaishree Sharad, she recommended foot Botox to two patients to opt for foot Botox to reduce sweating and pain.
“We have been doing foot Botox for soles and feet sweating for a very long time,” she says. “In India, the first preference always has been to spend the money on facial aesthetic procedures, and foot Botox comes in when you have more disposable income to spare.”
Sharad suggests that foot Botox is a preferable option for those who have to wear stilettos for long hours, and maybe for people who might not be attuned to high heels because of the pandemic. In that sense, Botox relaxes the muscles, and the nerve pain reduces to a certain extent. However, Sharad warns that doses need to be adequate; otherwise, you might be unable to keep your balance.
She adds, “It’s a relatively expensive procedure because the effect wears off in four months, and you have to do it every four months. For around 100 units of Botox, the cost can come up to Rs 35,000 every four months.”
For Mahieka Sharma, a model and influencer based in Mumbai, it doesn’t help that her heel size is EU 41, relatively larger than the average size. During her modelling assignments, she often has to make do with smaller heels that are usually available, further compressing her toes and causing pain.
Sharma points out that “in high heels, your feet are pointed in a sharp triangle for long hours, in addition to the height that leads to additional downward pressure on your heels, which is not the natural state of your feet.“ You can call it conditioning, but I love stilettos for their effect on my silhouette. Of course, I’ll always be in my slides on normal days.”
Additionally, she clarifies that even tight sneakers might be detrimental as they are not the natural orientation of the feet. As a yoga practitioner, Sharma suggests the talasana that has helped her deal with pain from high heels, apart from occasionally icing the balls of her feet.
“In the talasana, we focus our entire attention on lifting our bodies,” she explains. “So, you lift your heels and arms up in the air simultaneously. This way, the toes can stretch, and your feet strengthen. I also prefer walking barefoot whenever possible as it helps my feet be in their natural orientation.”
Ishani Bhatnagar, a fashion design student, is sceptical about the idea of foot Botox. The way she looks at it, the idea of high heels, for a regular person who might shop from fast fashion chains, must be viewed in the context of how these brands cut their clothes.
“In India, fast fashion brands won’t cut their trouser length short for a long time, and the hem length of their jeans and trousers is absurd,” she says. “But the idea of Botox gives me chills because you never know how your body will react to it and the long-term effects. I see it as a gamble of choices where you either have to give up the pain or the heel.”
Sharma, on her part, is hopeful that high heels might not always reign supreme in the era of street fashion and athleisure. Already, hikers are shifting to the open shoe technology—instead of having a narrow shoe, there is a sock with individual carvings, allowing the toe to expand as it is open from the front. In India, even back in the day, open shoes were a rage.
“Recently, I came across Irina Shayk (Russian model) wearing sustainable H & M with flats. This caused an uproar because it was a surprising look for the red carpet. So, that sort of un-conditioning will take time.”
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