If you wear high heels early on, you might have hip pain later, according to a study. Your hip flexor muscles are forced to stay in a persistent flexed position, and this muscle contraction may give you some health issues over time.
6. Your pinky toenail may become thin and brittle.
You can experience cosmetic problems as well, not just health-related ones. Being “crushed” inside those shoes, your toenails will not be very happy, especially your pinky toenail. In time, it can become either thin and brittle, or thick and difficult to cut. That’s why some women even choose to undergo medical procedures to be able to keep wearing their high heels.
7. Ingrown toenails may become a thing.
If you already have ingrown toenails, then you might want to think twice when wearing high heels. It can make the condition worse, and it can cause pain, redness, or even infection. If you’ve never experienced this, wearing heels may create the proper environment to develop it.
8. You may develop hammertoe.
Due to an imbalance of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments, you may develop something called hammertoe, which is a foot deformity. Hammertoe is caused by the fact that your toes don’t stay in their natural form because they are “squeezed in” inside the front part of the shoe.
9. You may have to deal with varicose veins.
When you stand on your high heels, the blood doesn’t pump through your veins as it should normally because of the contracted calf muscle. So you might develop varicose veins over time. If you already have visible signs of them, then a pair of sneakers is recommended.
10. You’re not as flexible as normal.
Your posture has to suffer because of all the things listed above, so you may not be able to be as flexible and mobile as you would normally be. The increased tightness on your muscles might hinder your everyday activities, like running up and down the stairs, going for a walk, or jogging. So it’s recommended that you massage your feet every now and then.
BONUS: Try the high heel stretch!
There is a stretch that you can do before and after long periods of wearing high heels. The stretching routine looks like this:
- Place a one-inch thick book on the floor.
- Place the ball of your right foot on the book and your heel on the ground.
- Bend forward and try to grab the book (you can bend your knees).
- Hold for 30 seconds, then switch feet. Repeat 2 or 3 times.
