Lipedema Treatment: Understanding the Connection Between Genetics and Treatment Success

By Dr. Thomas Su | May 12, 2025

People struggle with stubborn fat that will not budge. It doesn’t matter how much you diet or exercise. You can push through gym sessions and count every calorie. Despite these efforts, your lower body remains disproportionately large, heavy, and painful.

Millions of women go through this frustration. However, this is not a weight-loss issue but lipedema, a complex fat disorder with deep genetic roots.

Compared to obesity, lipedema treatment requires more than lifestyle changes. Genetics determines who develops lipedema, how it progresses, and why treatment success varies from one person to another.

Liposuction is the only proven method to remove lipedema fat, although not all patients respond the same way. It is thus important to understand the genetic connection to unlock the best possible lipedema treatment outcomes.

The Genetic Link: Why Lipedema Runs in Families

Lipedema often runs in families. Research shows that up to 80% of patients have a genetic link. For example, if your mother, aunt, or grandmother had disproportionately large legs that did not respond to weight loss, chances are, you inherited more than just their physical traits.

The UK Lipedema Cohort identified a gene called LHFPL6, which could be linked to lipedema. However, the reality is that no single “lipedema gene” has been found. Instead, scientists believe multiple genetic factors affect fat storage, blood vessel function, and lymphatic drainage, creating the perfect environment for lipedema development.

This explains why lipedema fat behaves differently. Lipedema fat does not respond to diet and exercise because the body’s mechanism has hardwired it to accumulate.

How Genetics Influences Lipedema Progression and Symptoms

Lipedema is progressive and follows a hormonal timeline, often showing up during puberty, pregnancy, or menopause. This pattern suggests that hormones and genetics work together to influence how fat cells grow and spread.

Fat Accumulation and Hormonal Influence

Lipedema fat is genetically resistant to weight loss. It worsens during major hormonal shifts, and that is why some women see rapid fat accumulation after childbirth or menopause.

Lymphatic Dysfunction and Inflammation

Recent discoveries have linked lipedema to lymphatic disease. A biomarker referred to as Platelet Factor 4 (Pf4) was found in lipedema patients but not in those with obesity. This shows that lipedema is far more than just excess weight.

A defective lymphatic system causes fluid retention, inflammation, and chronic pain. That is why non-surgical treatments are largely ineffective. Although compression therapy and manual lymphatic drainage may provide temporary relief, they cannot remove diseased fat.

Why Non-Surgical Lipedema Treatments Fall Short

Doctors commonly recommend non-surgical options. However, most of these lipedema treatment options do not address the root of the problem. For instance, compression therapy and manual lymphatic drainage improve circulation, but they only provide temporary relief.

Similarly, diet and exercise do not reduce lipedema fat. To add to the frustration, there are no FDA-approved medications to treat lipedema fat at its source. Genetic complexity matters; some patients will see no improvement with conservative treatments, and that is why liposuction is the only viable option.

For many women, lipedema continues to progress without surgical intervention, leading to mobility issues, joint strain, and emotional distress.

Liposuction: The Only Proven Long-Term Lipedema Treatment

Liposuction removes lipedema fat to improve health, mobility, and quality of life. While most surgeons are trained to remove only 50 to 60% of fat, our technique at ArtLipo allows us to remove up to 90% of diseased fat.

The procedure also reduces strain on the joints, lowering the risk of knee replacements and orthopedic complications. Additionally, liposuction restores natural body proportions, helping patients regain confidence and freedom of movement.

Without intervention, lipedema tends to worsen over time, but liposuction provides lasting relief and a significant improvement in daily life.

Advanced Lipedema Liposuction Techniques at ArtLipo

At ArtLipo, we help patients who have been misdiagnosed, dismissed, or told that their condition is untreatable. Our offerings include:

Circumferential Lipo 360™: Traditional liposuction only removes fat from select areas. However, our Circumferential Lipo 360™ targets lipedema from all angles, ensuring even fat reduction and smoother results.
Lymphatic-Sparing Liposuction: It is crucial to preserve lymphatic health. Our tumescent awake liposuction technique protects delicate lymphatic structures, minimizing the risk of complications.
Celebrity Arms™ for Lipedema: With lipedema, 30% of patients also develop fat deposits in the arms. Our Celebrity Arms™ procedure removes excess fat while sculpting a natural-looking arm shape.

Lipedema fat does not regenerate after liposuction unless there is significant weight gain. If you maintain a healthy, stable weight, you will experience permanent improvements in shape and symptoms.

Choose the Right Lipedema Treatment Today

If you have lipedema, do not suffer in silence. At ArtLipo, we understand this condition inside and out. We have helped over 10,000 patients take control of their health, mobility, and confidence through advanced lipedema treatment.

If you have struggled with failed treatments and frustrating misdiagnoses, it is time to explore a permanent solution. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and take the first step toward lasting relief.

Dr. Thomas Su

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.