Do I have lipedema or just cellulite?

While these two conditions may appear similar on the surface, they're completely different from one another. For example, lipedema can cause symptoms like pain and decreased mobility, while cellulite is purely cosmetic and poses no health concerns.

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How do I know if I have lipedema or just fat legs?

Fat is painful with pressure.

Fat deposits caused by lipedema will often feel painful if pressure is applied, unlike for healthy women with fatter legs or women with lymphedema, neither of whom would typically find a similar pressure to be painful.

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What is the pinch test for lipedema?

The tissue tenderness that is characteristic of lipedema can be checked with the pinch test, which is often felt as very unpleasant in the affected areas but causes no pain elsewhere. Increased capillary fragility manifests itself in spontaneous hematoma formation.

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What does Stage 1 lipedema look like?

Stage 1. In this early stage, it may be difficult to distinguish lipedema from excess fat on the lower body. Instead, providers look for certain characteristics, including: Extra fat in the buttocks, thighs, and calves, but not in the ankles or feet.

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How do you know if your fat is lipedema?

Symptoms of lipoedema
  1. your legs appear symmetrically swollen – swelling can occur from the hips down to the ankles and your legs appear column-like; the feet are not usually affected.
  2. affected areas feel 'spongy' and cool and the skin is generally soft and subtle.
  3. you bruise easily in the affected areas.

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Do I have lipedema? Signs, symptoms, and getting help

37 related questions found

What can mimic lipedema?

Lipedema is often confused with lymphedema, a similar disease that also causes swelling in the limbs. But under the microscope, the two disorders look different, and the causes, while similar, involve different effects on the vasculature. Both are often confused with obesity.

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How do you rule out lipedema?

A healthcare provider can diagnose you by doing a physical exam and collecting your medical history. Painful fat deposits make lipedema different from ordinary body fat, which doesn't hurt.

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Is lipedema fat hard or soft?

The lipedema fat itself is not smooth but feels like gelatin with small pea-sized nodules like foam balls in a bag. The excess fat growth on the buttocks, hips and legs gives a distorted pear shape to the body where the lower body is clearly out of proportion to the upper body (Figure 2).

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Does weight loss fix lipedema?

Lipedema does not respond well to restrictive diets, contrary to usual forms of obesity. Thus, lipedema leads to a disproportionate increase in lower body tissue that stubbornly retains its shape (waist to ankles) after diets or bariatric surgery.

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How do you test for lipedema at home?

A simple pinch test can often tell you whether you have lipedema. To do this, pinch the skin lightly in the areas of the body that may be affected. If you experience disproportionate pain, you may suspect lipedema.

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Does lipedema show up on blood test?

Lipedema requires a clinical diagnosis, meaning that there is no standardized test such as bloodwork or imaging that can confirm the presence of Lipedema.

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At what age does lipedema start?

The main symptom of lipedema is a buildup of fat in the arms and legs. Other symptoms include pain, swelling, loose skin, and easy bruising. The texture of fat beneath the skin can feel like peas, rice, or walnuts. Symptoms often begin at times of hormonal change, such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

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What are the symptoms of lipedema in females?

Symptoms
  • enlargement of your legs, and in some cases arms, but usually not your feet or hands.
  • pain, discomfort, heaviness or tenderness affected areas.
  • affected areas of your body can bruise easily, sometimes for no obvious reason.
  • dimpled legs with a lumpy texture, fat may bulge at the knees.

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What triggers lipedema?

Causes of Lipedema

The cause is not known, but doctors suspect female hormones play a role. That's because the condition affects mostly women, and it often begins or worsens at puberty, during pregnancy, following gynecologic surgery, and around the time of menopause.

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How do you tone your legs with lipedema?

Lipedema exercise programs include a mixture of building muscle strength and aerobic exercises. Good examples for aerobic exercises are Yoga, Pilates, Nordic Walking, cycling, or exercise in water. Swimming or water aerobics reduces the strain on your joints and muscles and also improves lymphatic flow.

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What not to eat with lipedema?

If they have lipedema, they might receive a recommendation for the RAD diet, or rare adipose disorders diet, which involves low consumption of pasteurized dairy, animal protein, fats, simple sugars, carbohydrates, and salt.

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What celebrities have lipedema?

Celebrities with Lipedema
  • Mischa Barton. Mischa Barton, a renowned television, film, and stage actress, has recently had pictures of her in shorts circulating on the internet. ...
  • Shaughna Phillips. ...
  • Kirstie Alley. ...
  • Rebel Wilson. ...
  • Alicia Keys. ...
  • Kylie Jenner. ...
  • Wendy Williams. ...
  • Maintain a healthy diet.

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Can people with lipedema be skinny?

Dr Faerber, are there also slim lipoedema patients? “Lipoedema is a fat distribution disorder with a tendency towards disproportion. Lipoedema patients are not always overweight. There are also patients with a dress size of 38 [UK 10] who have thickened fat tissue under the skin.

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How can you tell the difference between cellulite and lipedema?

The symptoms of cellulite are fairly similar to lipedema. However, cellulite doesn't cause any pain or excessive swelling. Some common symptoms of cellulite include: Dimpled skin.

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How do you treat lipedema in Australia?

At present liposuction is the only proven method to remove lipoedema fat. It should be noted that liposuction will provide a form of control and slowing the disease progression but is not a definitive cure.

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Is soft jiggly fat easier to lose?

Poor diet and lack of exercise are the main reasons for a build-up of subcutaneous fat. Compared to men, women are more likely to store soft fat in their bellies. Luckily, soft fat is considerably easy to lose. With regular exercise and a healthy diet, soft belly fat may melt on its own.

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Do I have lipedema or am I just overweight?

Lipedema: The affected limbs are often tender, sensitive, or painful. The affected area feels different from normal body fat: it feels cooler, softer, and can appear dimpled like orange-peel. Obesity: No specific signs, especially no pain.

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Can normal fat look like lipedema?

It can be difficult to distinguish early lipedema from weight gain in otherwise healthy people. The likelihood of lipedema not getting worse if the individual's health and weight remain stable is high. It is common for an individual to lose weight and become obese over their lifetime.

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Can you have a mild case of lipedema?

Yes, lipedema can be mild. Mild lipedema is most often associated with the early stages of lipedema when symptoms are just beginning to appear.

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