Walking barefoot on the beach. A day in their favorite high heels. Long exercise walk before Camano de Santiago. These are the goals—big and small—for women undergoing leg augmentation.
Using an injectable filler, such as hyaluronic acid or body fat, to cushion sore legs isn’t new, though it’s growing in popularity. Already in the 1960s, medical-grade silicone was used to inflate cushions that had deflated due to age and years. wear, and fashionable footwear, especially high heels. All of this puts intense pressure on the balls of the feet – otherwise known as the metatarsals.
Over time, the fat pad on the bottom of the leg dissipates. Atrophy of the fat pad affects 30% of people over the age of 60. Without this natural cushion, the bones of the foot are pushed closer to the ground, causing deep bruising-like pain in the heel or foot when walking barefoot or standing for long periods of time.
Check out the doughy wonders that are baby’s feet and compare them to yours. As we age, wear and tear breaks down this plush fabric. And if you use your feet a lot, the cushion will wear down faster. Some of the internal padding can be restored, even if only temporarily, by injecting dermal fillers.
“It’s becoming very popular because people already know it in terms of aesthetics (of use),” he says Ben Pearl, DPMis a podiatrist at Arlington Foot and Ankle, Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Pearl specializes in sports medicine and treats endurance athletes who want to restore the cushion lost in their feet from pounding the pavement.
A promising treatment for pain relief
However, patients do not have just one choice of injections. Many of the same options are available cosmetic use they also promised a leg. There’s a hyaluronic acid filler that adds physical volume and cushioning, and calcium hydroxylapatite, like Radiesse, that adds firm volume while promoting new collagen growth. Human body fat is sometimes used as an injectable method known as adipose tissue, and this practice is quickly becoming the preferred method.
“(Fat injection) actually causes the body to rebuild the fat pad in that area, so it lasts a lot longer,” he says. Anne Sharkey, DPMat Soley Podiatry in Austin. Fat allografts from the brands Liposana and Leneva can last up to two years, compared to hyaluronic acid fillers, which usually need to be repaired in six to nine months.
