Many people, including those in the medical profession, remain unaware of the common lipedema signs and symptoms. Even many doctors fail to recognize the signs of this condition in their patients. However, if you suspect you may suffer from this poorly understood disease, you should be familiar with the symptoms. Column-like legs, a disproportionate body shape, and pain and tenderness in the affected areas are all common symptoms of lipedema. Nodules underneath the skin are another sign to look out for. Here, we take a look at what these nodules are and what they look and feel like.
What Are Lipedema Nodules?
Nodules are one of the essential characteristics of lipedema. They occur due to fibrosis of the fat tissue. Fibrosis occurs during the healing process when connective tissue replaces normal tissue. As a result, permanent scar tissue forms. Fibrosis causes the fat tissue to have a nodular, hard feeling to the touch.
Also Read – Does Lipedema Surgery Get Rid of Fat Nodules?
Do Nodules Have Different Stages?
Lipedema nodules go through three stages of development as lipedema itself progresses.
At Stage 1, patients have flat skin with pearl-sized nodules underneath the skin’s surface. The patient can detect these nodules when touching their skin.
At Stage 2, patients have indented skin that covers the fat cells. The nodules could be the size of pearls up to the size of apples. The larger nodules will be visible as well as palpable.
At Stage 3, patients have indented skin with large bulges covering pearl-sized nodules and large masses of fat. These cause lobules on the thighs, hips, and legs.
How Do I Know If I’ve Got Lipedema Nodules?
Usually, especially at the early stages, you won’t be able to see the nodules. However, you can feel them when you touch the skin. The surface of the skin is soft, but under the surface, you can feel harder areas, which represent the nodules. Depending on the stage of lipedema you are at, the nodules will be different sizes. They could be as small as a seed or as large as a plum. If you don’t have nodules, you can’t receive a diagnosis of lipedema.
Can Nodules Be Removed?
If you have lipedema nodules, the good news is that it is possible to remove them. There are two ways to remove nodules from beneath the skin. If you are at Stage One, your surgeon will remove your nodules through lipedema liposuction. Many patients at Stage Two will also benefit from lipedema liposuction surgery to remove their nodules. Unfortunately, for more advanced cases at Stage Three or Four, liposuction may not get rid of all the nodules.
Patients may require further treatment to get rid of adherent or large nodules. Manual extraction is the best option for these challenging cases. This treatment involves the surgeon making an incision over the nodule. They then gently milk the nodule out from beneath the skin.
If you are seeking liposuction to treat lipedema, you should call Dr. Su at ArtLipo today. As a specialist, he can determine whether you have the most common lipedema signs and symptoms and offer treatment.
Dr. Thomas Su, is the owner and cosmetic surgeon of Artistic Lipo. He has led our full-time clinic specializing in awake-only liposuction since 2007. Dr. Su began his medical career in internal medicine, practicing that until 2005, when he began to provide a full spectrum of non-invasive cosmetic procedures.
