Every stylish woman has to have at least one pair of high-heeled shoes in her closet. Whether it’s a classic pair, which actress Ashley Greene says is essential, or a pair of stilettos, which Nina Garcia considers a must-have in every woman's closet, you can’t deny that it has certain magical powers. The right pair doesn’t just add inches to your height--it also adds points to your confidence.

But just as having a pair or two is important, so is knowing how to wear them, which, of course, includes caring for your feet once the day is over. Wearing high heels, after all, is no joke; there will always be a certain degree of pain involved.

“You know what, I think it’s so difficult to say that it won’t hurt your feet,” says Life Science Preventive Medicine Executive Director Maria Victoria Romero-Salas, who is a huge fan of high heels herself. [But] if you’re going to wear heels, and this is the way it is, then you have to kind of balance [things]. As soon as you get in the car, try to wear flats, or maybe there has to be two days out of the week you wear flats.”

Dr. Ben Valdecañas, Medical Director at Life Science and an orthopedic surgeon by profession, has a few more tips to bring to the table. Here, he shares his five tips on how women who wear high heels can avoid long-term damage to their feet.

(Image courtesy of Mango)