What Age Does Lipedema Start?
Lipedema can start at any time in a sufferer’s life. However, times of hormonal change usually signal the start of the symptoms. Often, the first signs of the condition appear during puberty. In other sufferers, symptoms will not appear until pregnancy or even until menopause. There is no way to predict when any individual will begin to show the visible signs of lipedema. However, if an individual is predisposed to the condition, the symptoms will inevitably appear at some point.
What Causes Lipedema?
Unfortunately, at the present time, experts do not know exactly what causes lipedema. They believe, however, that it probably has a genetic link as it appears to run in families. If you have a close family member who suffers from lipedema, you’re more likely to suffer, too. Experts also believe that lipedema has a hormonal cause. That is because it is almost exclusively women who suffer. It also appears to arise and worsen during times of hormonal change like puberty, menopause, and pregnancy. The few cases of men with lipedema show that they suffer from hormonal conditions, too.
Learn More – What Causes Lipedema?
What Are the First Signs of Lipedema?
One of the biggest problems with receiving a lipedema diagnosis is that in its early stages, it’s hard to spot. Usually, the first sign is excess weight gain in the lower part of the body. Sufferers may begin to develop cankles or column-like legs. Their lower body may start to look disproportionate to their upper body. Easy bruising in the affected areas may be another early sign. As these symptoms are quite non-specific, many lipedema sufferers don’t realize they have the condition. If they seek medical advice, even their doctor may fail to identify it. Sufferers may worry that they are simply becoming obese and try to lose weight through diet and exercise. Unfortunately, this doesn’t work as lipedema fat does not respond to dietary changes or exercise, unlike regular fat. Failure to shed the excess fat often leads to low self-esteem and poor self-confidence for sufferers.
Does Lipedema Ever Stop Progressing?
Lipedema is a chronic condition and will continue progressing if left untreated. Over the years, it will get worse, and there are three or four stages each patient goes through.
While the first stage of lipedema only has mild symptoms, the second stage sees a change in the fat’s texture. Patients develop nodules under their skin that feel like peas or grains of rice. They may start to experience more pain in their limbs. The abnormal fat development continues, causing an even more disproportionate body shape.
When patients reach stage three, the distribution of diseased fat becomes even more noticeable. Patients may also develop fat lobules on their knees and arms that further reduce self-confidence. Mobility becomes compromised due to pain and heaviness in the legs. The build-up of fat around the thighs and knees can make movement difficult and exercising almost impossible.
If patients reach stage four, they develop secondary lymphedema, which causes even more discomfort, pain, and embarrassment.
There is no set timeline for the progression to each stage. Some sufferers may remain at one stage for many years before progressing to the next. In others, the change may be more rapid. However, often, disease progression and development of symptoms appear to have hormonal links. Symptoms may appear at puberty and then progress to the next stage during pregnancy. On the other hand, some patients may show minimal symptoms until menopause and then show rapid progression.
Am I Too Young to Have Treatment for Lipedema?
No patient is too young to undergo treatment for lipedema. However, the biggest problem is receiving a lipedema diagnosis in the first place. As it is tough to spot in its early stages, patients often receive an incorrect diagnosis of obesity. They then waste many years trying to address a condition they don’t have, and over that time, their condition only worsens. Usually, women are older by the time they get a diagnosis, and the disease has progressed further.
Doctors can prescribe conservative treatments to sufferers of all ages. However, these treatments only address the symptoms, not the cause of lipedema. If patients want to undergo surgery, they must be 18 years old at a minimum.
Older patients may worry they are too old to have surgery for lipedema. That is not necessarily the case. Surgery is possible as long as patients are in good physical health and their surgeon deems them fit for surgery.
Surgery for lipedema involves undergoing liposuction of the affected areas. Afterward, patients experience reduced pain and better mobility as the surgery removes the diseased fat. It doesn’t cure the condition, but it can give long-lasting relief. It also improves patients’ self-esteem due to an improved body shape. It’s crucial, however, to choose the right surgeon with skill and experience in treating lipedema sufferers. Dr. Su at ArtLipo is leading the way in this field. Contact the ArtLipo team today to arrange your consultation.
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.