As summer slowly approaches, so does our favorite summer ritual: whip out our pretty high heels, get warned that they're totally dangerous for us, wear them anyway.
This year's warning: heels are getting so high (and so prevalent) that more women than ever are resorting to cosmetic feet surgery to fit into them. Such procedures include getting fillers injected into the balls of your feet and even "toe jobs." To which we say: ouch.
Of course, women have been wearing high heels for centuries. But in recent years those spikey heels have gotten higher and higher (thanks, Christian Louboutin). In 2008 journalists noted that five-inch heels and towering platforms were becoming commonplace. So naturally in 2009, doctors went on record to declare heels a health hazard. The same happened in 2010, and again in 2011 and 2012. Turns out, no matter when you ask experts, they'll tell you that cramming your tootsies into vertiginous death traps is not a good idea.
But we really can't win, because modifying our feet to fit into said traps is dangerous, too. It was reported in 2009 that women were getting plastic surgery on their feet to strap on those sky-high shoes -- even though the risks of such plastic surgery "including infections, pain, scarring and nerve damage -- are much greater than the benefits," doctors say. The same was reported in 2010.
And despite the health warnings, we're still at it. The Daily Mail noted yesterday that requests for filler injections into women's toe pads, balls of the feet and heels have jumped 21%, doubling last year's rates. It looks like cosmetic foot surgery isn't going anywhere.
With summer approaching and those gorgeous stilettos calling your name, would you go to the doctor's office for some high heel surgery?
Want to see some crazy-high heels? Look no further than Lady Gaga.
