Six UAE doctors advise against fashionable high heels for girls

Six medical practitioners have discouraged the early passage to adulthood of girls by way of the families’ yielding in to fashion and society pressures.

In particular, Al Zahra Hospital (Dubai) Clinical Health psychologist Dr. Mona Youssri, NMC Specialty Hospital Tower (Abu Dhabi) Neurology specialist Dr. Vasireddy Sindhu, Burjeel Hospital for Advanced Surgery (Dubai) Orthopaedic Surgery consultant Dr. Allaedin Elbadawi, Thumbay University Hospital (Ajman) Paediatrics & Neonatology consultant Dr. Osama Elsayed Rezk Elassy, LLH Hospital (Musaffah) Paediatrics consultant Dr. Sridevi Patra, and NMC Royal Hospital (DIP) Rheumatology consultant Dr. Che Helene unanimously rejected the fashionable high heels, originally a trend over a decade back.

Patra said: “It affects physical growth and shifts the centre of gravity, moving from the soles of their feet to their limbs; leading to poor posture and spinal issues with long-term back and knee pain. The growth of plates in the feet do not fully close until around ages 14 to 16.”

Gulf Today consulted, since by late October and over Facebook, while a lady wowed two dolled-up looks of a girl that appears to be barely in her primary grade, the lady also commented: “Oh poor little girl!” in reference to her Mary Jane pumps.

For the past three years, a Sharjah career woman has been persistently “sweetly” nagged by her pre-teen daughter: “She will enjoy at the proper time.”

A Sharjah father finds it off. Girls should be wearing flat shoes, sneakers and chappals.

Youssri, Elbadawi, Elassy, Sindhu, and Helene cited cases.

Pointing out the “hidden cost of early sexualisation,” Youssri explained: “Early sexualisation occurs when a child’s value is increasingly linked to physical appearance or sexual attractiveness rather than internal qualities, talents, or achievements. This shift often begins innocently. A mother buying adult-style outfits for her 10-year-old, a popular influencer promoting ‘mini-me’ versions of beauty routines, or schools allowing dress codes that mimic adult fashion. It also happens when all the praises a girl receives, is about external appearance.”

Her case: A 12-year-old who eventually underwent cognitive behavioural techniques to “rebuild her self-image beyond appearance.” Additionally, the entire family was aided on social media exposure control, particularly on the validation of outside appearances. They were guided on well-meaning sources on self-awareness and self-esteem.

The root cause: The teachers, had observed that the girl, had become too engrossed in selfies and “mimicking influencer poses,” even during class. The girl stubbornly insisted on “wearing thick eyeliner and high heels to school.” She felt “prettier” that way. She was always awaiting adulation.

The basic determinant on adult-inspired fashion for, and “influencer-inspired poses” by children, “normalised and even celebrated,” via “social media content and even school culture,” is society itself.

Thus, Youssri warned on the “psychological toll” namely “low self-esteem, body image dissatisfaction, anxiety, depression, and even the onset of risky behaviours, on a generation still forming its sense of self-worth and identity.”

Sindhu who “treats patients with heel-related complications” found herself in the same shoes as the Sharjah mother.

Her daughter, 10, begging for her first high heels since 2023, “proved me wrong by showing me the widely available pointed heels in every mall we visited. My professional knowledge makes my decision clear. But I understand why parents struggle when their children feel left out.”

The other medical cases, resolved within maximum of six months, by way of a combination of counselling sessions, physiotherapy and other rehabilitative procedures, that include the use of supportive flats, orthotic (brace and splint) and metatarsal pads:

n 13-year-old – Foot pain and swelling due to the daily wear of heeled sandals for several months.

n 12-year-old – Inability to join Physical Education classes, foot pain, early bunion, tight calves, two ankle sprains due to her six-centimeter (cm) heels for the weekend and which became several days each week within months.

n 14-year-old – Tight calves, early bunions, feet and knees pain, and lower back discomfort due to every day wear of six-cms heels.

n 15-year-old – Postural strain, balance impairment, walking difficulty, and mild Achilles tendon tightness due to the daily wear in over a year two-inch heels.