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Women's feet are seen as a sign of beauty all over the World. In
China during the early 10th century, foot binding was seen as a
sign of beauty and was practiced by all social classes. Foot binding
was a tradition in which the toes were tightly wrapped in cloth
so that they would bend under the foot, breaking the bones therefore
curling the foot under.
After a number of years of performing this ritual,
from about the age of 5 onwards, the front and back of the foot
would be forced together to give the impression of small dainty
feet. When girls were old enough to be married, prospective mother
in laws would choose a wife for her sons by inspecting the appearance
of the young girls feet.
Considering that women's feet are
supposed to be indicative of female beauty, women in the millennium
are watching their symbols of beauty grow uglier by the day.
Today's fashion dictates that women's
shoes are high heeled and narrow toed, leaving women's feet squashed,
sore and unsightly. Instead of adding a simple foot care regime
to their regular beauty routine, some women are opting for the easy
way out.
Some women prefer liposuction to
exercise, silicone implants to nature's creation; and now women
are choosing plastic surgery and fashion over simple foot care.
The latest craze in plastic surgery
is to 'fix' ugly feet with procedures such as liposuction to achieve
slimmer ankles, and plastic surgery to achieve higher arches and
more shapely feet. Women are even opting for surgery to accommodate
their feet into more fashionable footwear, such as having toes shortened,
or enduring Botox to relieve the pain of sore feet when wearing
stilettos.
What cosmetic surgery patients fail
to realize is the long-term effects of these measures. Sacrificing
simple foot care to be a slave to fashion will carry its penalties.
The facts that women are not told
is that cosmetic foot surgery may lead to future foot deformities,
and the temporary pain relief from foot Botox places the foot at
risk by eliminating important pain receptors, such as the effects
of the dangerous condition called neuropathy. In
some cases of cosmetic foot surgery the blood supply has been interrupted
in the toe, cutting off blood flow and resulting in loss of the
toe.
So in perspective, surely a little
more compromise with the things that carry us through our daily
lives i.e. our feet, is easier and more effective than the risks
of plastic surgery. Beauty is not always pain.
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