Dr Scholl's QTTO Sleeping Socks (寝ながらメディキュット M) Review

I came across this item at most drugstores during my last Tokyo Trip in August 09. As I was not able to understand Japanese language at that time, I did not purchase the socks despite comtemplating for very long. It was not retailing at the price of normal socks as it claimed to have some medical purposes to shape your calves and provide better blood circulation for the legs.

These are some photos of the item:

After I came back to Singapore, curiosity spurred me to research on the socks online and I read that it was actually recommended in 女人我最大 by Jolin Tsai. The recommendations made me regret not getting one earlier when it could be the cheapest to buy from Japan directly (since it was Japan-made, 日本制). I then tried all means to get it shipped over but that would incur a significant base charge on the shipping. I even tried to get friends in Japan to send it over but it turned out not very successful due to some reasons.

During Nov 09, my brother went to Taipei and casually asked if I wanted anything from Taipei. At that time, I did not expect Taipei to carry this item as (to my best knowledge) Singapore did not retail this item yet. Being desperate, I showed my brother a photo of the socks and asked him to check whether the drugstores carry the item. To my surprise, they do sell the socks, but at a higher price compared to Tokyo. And yes, I got my brother to get it for me from Taipei. :)

I tried on the socks the night my brother touched down from his Taipei trip.

Review of the socks

There were some guides on the back of the box on how to wear the socks properly to maximise its effects. For instance, you must be careful not to 'scratch' the socks with your uneven nails and ensures that the ankles and knees are in line with the respective 'markings' on the socks. I also realised that the lavender-coloured socks are not only pretty to look at, the material is also of good quality (Later I found out that the socks are made of Nylon and Polyurethane). One reason for the good quality could be the socks were made in Japan. :D

While wearing the socks and lying on the bed, I could feel a certain degree of pressure on my ankles and calves. The pressure was greater on my ankles than my calves maybe due to my thunder calves (which was one of the reasons why I wanted the socks badly). There are supposed to be 3 different levels of pressure on different parts as per the illustration printed on the front of the box.

Later at night, the socks remained tight enough to 'squeeze' my calves but not so tight that they restrict the blood flow. At that moment, it really seemed like my calves were being 'shaped' by the socks. :) As I have pretty sensitive skin at the back of my knee, rashes started appearing due to hours of wearing the socks. Perhaps that was why the company came up with a newer but shorter version of the socks that ends below the knee. :)

I am merely into my 3rd week of using the socks and will update here on the effect of the socks on my thunder calves. :) So stay tuned!