Transgender Women Feminize Their Feet Through Surgery

By Dr. Suzanne Levine

Dr. Suzanne Levine, an accomplished podiatrist on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, has seen a new trend with patients coming into her office. As someone who's been in the foot business for over 20 years, it's hard to catch Dr. Levine off guard. But this trend is indicative of something bigger happening in America today.

Levine explains, "Trans women are coming in, more often pre-op than post, asking about how they can feminize their feet."

In light of Bruce Jenner's recent touchstone interview with Diane Sawyer on ABC, and growing depictions of transgender figures on shows like "Orange is the New Black" and "Transparent," a spotlight is finally being shone on individuals that do not subscribe to "traditional" gender and sexuality norms.

And as more celebrities in the public spotlight decide to transition, the medical community has reacted by providing legitimate options to formalize their transformation. Most people have heard about reconstruction of the face and chest, but most neglect to think about feet when a biological male starts transitioning.

Below, Dr. Levine highlights some of the procedures she offers to patients who are looking to feminize their feet. A sexy stiletto, or a bohemian sandal, help complete a look, and in Dr. Levine's eyes, everyone should have a chance to look fabulous.

Steps to Fabulous Feet

1. Foot Reconstruction: Most drastically, a podiatrist like Dr. Levine can do reconstructive surgery of the foot to narrow, and feminize its overall appearance. A new, minimally invasive outpatient procedure called HyProCure also allows a podiatrist to create a more feminine arch in a foot where none existed before. All in 20 minutes or less!

2. Rejuvenating the Balls of the Feet: A male foot in a female shoe poses obvious problems and risk. Dr. Levine offers a procedure called "Pillows for Your Feet" that involves injecting a biodegradable filler called Sculptra into the ball of the foot. This creates padding to help handle the vertical wear-and-tear of heels.

3. Heal the Nails: Men's feet are more susceptible to fungal infection since they wear more closed-toed shoes and tend to sweat more. An unsightly, yellowing nail can sour even the most fashionable wedge or sandal. The most efficient answer is the new, high-tech Q-Clear Laser, which uses a beam of light to polish and whiten nails in as a little as one use.

4. Buff and Scrub: Now that a patient's feet are going to be on display, Dr. Levine always suggests her signature Foot Facial -- her amped up version of a pedicure that includes an exfoliating scrub, a mint moisturizing mask, and some reflexology to round it all off. Exfoliating away calluses and dead skin is the easiest way to soften and feminize the feet.

5. Support the Transition: Whether a patient has reconstructive surgery, or they're simply wearing more feminine shoes, the altered biomechanics of the foot will drastically change a person's gait and posture. To avoid pain and injury, Dr. Levine recommends custom made orthotic inserts to help ease patients into their new lifestyle.

At the end of the day, what matters most to Dr. Levine is her patient's mental and physical health. We live in an exciting time where transgender issues are seeing necessary attention. If Dr. Levine can help build up someone's confidence, that makes it all worth it.

Dr. Suzanne Levine is a Board-Certified Podiatric Surgeon who has been named one of "America's Top Podiatrists" by the Consumers' Research Council of America and is among the most acclaimed podiatrists internationally.

Dr. Levine has worked as both an educator and an author, writing "My Feet Are Killing Me!" and "Your Feet Don't Have To Hurt," amongst others. She has been quoted in, and consulted for countless articles in leading periodicals, and is featured frequently on "The Today Show" and WNBC's "Today in New York." Her past television credits include "Oprah," "Entertainment Tonight," "Extra," "20/20," as well as ABC and CBS News.