3 Reasons People Seek Cosmetic Toe-Shortening Procedures

Toes are a very important part of the foot and how the human body moves. When you step, your toes help you stabilize yourself and stay balanced, and they also help you spring into the next step by pushing your foot off the ground. Cosmetic toe-shortening surgery has become quite a common procedure. Even though toe shortening is often viewed as a purely cosmetic thing, most people do have a really good reason for electing to have this kind of surgery done by a podiatrist. Here is a look at three of the reasons why people seek toe-shortening procedures. 

They have what is referred to as Morton's toe. 

Morton's toe, which is also called Greek foot and turkey toe, is a name given to a foot that has a second toe that is longer than the rest of the toes, which can give the end of the foot an odd shape. With this toe being longer, it can cause problems with finding shoes that fit properly, and it can also cause more problems with bunions or curved toes because shoes you do find will not fit right. Some people just do not like what their feet look like because of the one elongated toe. Through toe-shortening surgery, this toe can be shortened so the toes have a more stairstep shape and will fit into shoes easier. 

They have elongated toes that curve or arch. 

It is normal for toes to curve and arch if they are longer than most. There are certain points of contact on the toes that naturally accept the pressure of a step, and longer toes will naturally bend over to make this happen. It is not uncommon for people who have longer toes than usual to opt for toe-shortening cosmetic surgery to eliminate the problems they have with curved toes or to prevent the problem in the future. 

They find one or more of their toes in the way when they wear certain shoes. 

Certain types of shoes can put stress on either the pinky toe or big toe, especially something like high heels or sandals. Some people choose to have either their pinky or big toe shortened so their feet will fit better with certain types of shoes. For example, if you have a really long pinky toe, it may get in the way and hurt when you wear sandals or shoes that have a pointed toe.

For more information about cosmetic toe surgery, contact a podiatrist.