Barefoot walks on the beach. A day in their favorite high heels. A long training walk ahead of the Camano de Santiago. These are the goals—big and small—of women undergoing foot filler treatments.
Using an injectable filler—such as hyaluronic acid or body fat—to add padding to sore feet is not new, though it is gaining in popularity. As early as the 1960s, medical-grade silicone has been used to puff up padding deflated by age, years of wear and tear, 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 fatty cushion on the bottom of your feet dissipates. Fat pad atrophy affects 30% of people over the age of 60. Without that natural cushion, the bones in your feet come into closer contact with the ground, which causes a deep bruise-like pain in the heels or balls of the feet when walking barefoot or standing for long periods.
For some perspective, look at the doughy wonders that are baby feet and compare them to yours. As we age, wear and tear breaks down that plush tissue. And if you put your feet to heavy use, you’ll wear down that cushion quicker. Some of that internal cushioning can be restored—even if just temporarily—with the injection of dermal fillers.
“It’s getting very popular because people are already familiar with it for aesthetic [uses],” says Ben Pearl, DPM, a podiatrist at Arlington Foot and Ankle in Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Pearl specializes in sports medicine and treats endurance athletes looking to restore cushion lost in their feet from pounding the pavement.
A promising treatment to offload pain
Patients don’t have just one choice for injectables, though. Many of the same options available for cosmetic use have also shown promise for feet. There’s hyaluronic acid filler, which adds physical volume and cushioning, and calcium hydroxylapatite, such as Radiesse, which adds firm volume while also promoting new collagen growth. Sometimes human body fat is used as the injectable, known as adipose tissue, a practice that is quickly becoming the preferred method.
“[A fat injection] actually recruits your body to rebuild the fat pad in that area so it has a much longer duration,” says Anne Sharkey, DPM, of Soley Podiatry in Austin. Fat allografts from brands like Liposana and Leneva may last as long as two years, compared to hyaluronic acid fillers, which typically need a touch up in six to nine months.