Many women are in love with shoes, and when they find a model they consider perfect, but it doesn't fit their feet because of an oversized bunion or a very long toe, what to do? For some, the solution is to cut off those extra bulges!

Yes, it may sound crazy, but some people are turning to a bizarre trend in the cruel beauty industry: surgery that shortens the toes. The largest numbers of these surgeries have been reported in the United States and Great Britain, but while there are many successful cases, there are also occurrences that did not work very well.

Also known as "Cinderella Surgery", the controversial procedure involves altering the size and shape of the toes to fit perfectly into designer high-heeled shoes. According to the Daily Mail, surgery promises to shorten (or even lengthen) the toes., scrape off the excess bone to remove deeper lumps and corns and even vacuum the excess fat off the big toe.

Perfect feet in a few months

Of course, undergoing this surgery is not for anyone. After all, even if you do not find your angel foot that wonder of beauty, would you surrender your locomotive limbs in a procedure that stirs so much in its structure?

In fact, it's a risk like so many other plastic surgeries there are, but the reasons revealed by women interviewed by the Daily Mail show that the operation would be totally unnecessary if it didn't mess with the self-esteem, which is what drives the beauty industry. .

But with that, the cosmetic clinics that offer this type of surgery are capitalizing on the deep desire that some women have for perfect feet. For example, Paulina Charlikowska, 30, spent about 16.5 thousand reais to "retread" her feet.

Success Stories

"It sounds silly, but I've always hated my feet and felt too embarrassed to show them off in front of my friends, " said Paulina, who owns a Blackpool salon in the UK. It turns out that before the surgery Paulina forced her feet into shoes that were two sizes smaller, squeezing her toes so that they were always sore and covered with corns.

“I knew I was making my feet look even worse, but I couldn't stand wearing big ugly shoes. Also, I work with beauty and spending all day looking at people's feet made me even more dissatisfied with mine, "said Paulina, who wore 40.

So when she heard about Cinderella's surgery, she saw her dream of continuing to wear her little shoes come true.

According to the Daily Mail, Paulina's husband thought she was crazy, but she did everything she could to save money for the surgery. In October last year, she finally went to the knife, with her second and third fingers shortened to an inch under local anesthetic. "It took an hour and although I couldn't feel anything, I could hear my bones being sawn and crushed, which was horrible, " Paulina said.

According to what the woman reported, she had no pain afterwards, but got strings on her toes for five weeks, one of her fingers becoming infected and she needed to take antibiotics. After removing the wires, Paulina had to use crutches to get around for a few weeks before she could walk normally.

Sequence of before, after surgery and how Paulina's feet looked

Now your feet are fully healed, but with some barely noticeable scars. With the procedure, the size of her feet has decreased by a number and she is ecstatic.

According to podiatrist surgeon Dr. Jason Hargrave, "This surgery is a fast-growing trend, driven by the popularity of ' Sex and The City ' style high heels. They are seen as the most glamorous and desirable accessories, not to be being able to use them can be depressing for some women. ”

For those who don't know, the TV series (which also turned into a movie) Sex and The City told the story of Carrie Bradshaw (played by Sarah Jessica Parker), a close fashion journalist who wore the most beautiful high heels, usually from famous brands such as Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik, Jimmy Choo and Chanel.

The risks

Despite Paulina's and many other women's success stories, experts don't consider surgery the best idea. Many orthopedic surgeons have warned that these surgeries are highly invasive, involving cutting open fingers, sawing bones and joining bones again.

According to orthopedics specialists, this poses a high risk for serious complications such as permanent foot pain and limited joint movement. "In more extreme cases, there is still a small risk of life-threatening blood clots. Even if surgery can be successful, I would never recommend it unless much needed, " said Andrea Scott, an orthopedic surgeon and foot specialist. ankle.

The doctor also said that surgeons registered with the UK regulator only perform foot surgery to relieve pain or correct a deformity, such as very severe bunions or clawed toes. "We do not endorse this type of surgery for purely aesthetic reasons, because of the risks it carries, " he explained.

In addition to the growing concerns about “Cinderella surgery” is the fact that it is performed primarily by podiatrists and non-orthopedic surgeons, who would have at least 15 years of extensive experience. Podiatrists who perform the procedure under local anesthesia are allowed to do so after a one-year postgraduate course.

However, according to the Daily Mail, they are not even required to state whether they have any additional surgical qualifications. Therefore, for many women desperate to achieve the perfect foot, there is no way to verify a doctor's credibility before opting for surgical intervention.

Frustrated Cases

Danielle's surgery was not successful and she has a lot of pain

According to orthopedist Andrea Scott, foot surgery can actually cause more problems than cure where there was nothing wrong before. This is what happened to 37-year-old Danielle Sandler, who had her toes "corrected" by a surgeon in a private London hospital.

Although her husband Nick tried to persuade her not to, she insisted on the procedure. "Looking back, I can see that I simply threw myself into the idea, thinking that would solve everything, but now I really regret ignoring Nick's advice, " Danielle told the Daily Mail.

Unlike Paulina, Danielle had surgery under general anesthesia, having hooks inserted into her toes to straighten them. "After the operation, I had excruciating pain and it soon became clear that something had gone wrong because my feet were pointing up at an odd angle. They didn't touch the floor when I got up. A few weeks later, I had to do a second operation to try to fix them, but they still have an upward tilt, "said Danielle, who had a condition called" hammer-toes "that make them claw-shaped.

The hooks were removed from her fingers six weeks later without anesthesia, an experience that was so painful that she almost fainted. Her feet were swollen and she could not walk, so she ended up having to take six months off from her job.

Today, Danielle can only wear flip flops and flat shoes

"I felt very frustrated and depressed, stuck at home and unable to do anything. I wonder if my feet will heal properly someday. The worst is that because my toes don't bend, my feet are always hard, which also affects my ankles and knees, "said the woman.

Danielle now realizes that the surgeon was more interested in correcting the look of his feet rather than improving his function. "People should think carefully before having foot surgery for aesthetic reasons. It's not worth the risk just for the sake of vanity, " said Danielle. And would you, reader or reader, have such surgery?