What is Lipoedema
Lipoedema is a chronic and progressive fat-distribution disorder that mainly affects women. It causes an abnormal, symmetrical accumulation of fat — most often on the hips, thighs, buttocks, knees and sometimes the upper arms. The hands and feet are usually spared, giving the body a characteristic disproportionate shape.
Unlike general obesity, lipoedema fat is painful, nodular, and resistant to diet or exercise. Many women describe a feeling of heaviness or tenderness in the affected areas and notice that they bruise easily or develop small visible veins under the skin due to pressure on the blood vessels.
Symptoms often worsen over time and can affect quality of life, mobility, and emotional wellbeing.
How Lipoedema Differs from Lymphoedema and Obesity
Lipoedema is often mistaken for lymphoedema or excess weight gain. However, it has distinct clinical features:
- Symmetrical distribution: Both sides of the body are affected evenly.
- Hands and feet spared: This helps distinguish it from lymphoedema, which typically includes the hands or feet.
- Texture and feel: Lipoedema tissue feels soft, doughy, or nodular, without the pitting often seen in early lymphoedema.
- Response to lifestyle changes: Diet and exercise rarely reduce lipoedema fat, unlike typical obesity.
Understanding these differences is crucial, as misdiagnosis can delay effective treatment and worsen symptoms. Targeted compression therapy and manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) can help reduce swelling and improve lymph flow through the lymphatic system.
How Common is Lipoedema?
Research indicates that up to one in nine women may be affected by lipoedema, although it remains significantly underdiagnosed.
The condition is under-recognised due to limited medical training, overlapping symptoms with obesity or venous disease, and the absence of standardised diagnostic criteria.
At
Hunar Clinic, Dr Puneet Gupta and his team are committed to raising awareness, educating both patients and healthcare professionals, and offering accurate diagnosis and tailored treatment plans — including advice on
wearing compression garments and long-term management to
reduce pain and discomfort.
Diagnosing Lipoedema
Currently, there is no specific diagnostic test for lipoedema.
Diagnosis is clinical, based on:
The distribution of fat in the body
The texture and feel of the tissue
Associated symptoms such as pain, bruising, and heaviness
A specialist in lipoedema — such as Dr Puneet Gupta, who has treated over 10,000 women with this condition — can recognise the subtle features that distinguish lipoedema from other fat or lymphatic disorders.
Accurate diagnosis relies on experience, thorough physical assessment, and awareness of the latest research and evidence-based criteria.
Lipoedema Expertise
Dr Puneet Gupta is internationally recognised for his work in micro-cannular liposuction, a gentle, precise surgical treatment designed to remove diseased fat tissue while preserving lymphatic system structures. His evidence-based, holistic approach focuses on:
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Safe, effective fat removal using advanced micro-liposuction
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Reducing pain and improving mobility
- Helping reduce swelling in the affected limbs
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Restoring natural body proportions, confidence, and quality of life
At his Hunar Clinic in Gerrards Cross, every treatment plan is individualised, combining medical expertise, compassion, and long-term management strategies. Supportive therapies such as pneumatic compression,
manual lymphatic drainage (MLD), and
wearing compression garments are often recommended to maintain results after liposuction and to enhance lymphatic health.
Book a Lipoedema Consultation in London or Gerrards Cross
If you suspect you may have lipoedema, or if you have been misdiagnosed in the past, a specialist assessment can make all the difference. A personalised plan may include compression therapy, pneumatic compression devices, or
manual lymphatic drainage alongside medical or
surgical treatment to control symptoms and
reduce swelling.
Contact to book a personal consultation with
Dr Puneet Gupta, one of the UK’s leading experts in lipoedema diagnosis and treatment.
Dr Puneet Gupta’s Clinic
📞 07500898562
📧 info@drpuneetgupta.co.uk
Click here to book your consultation
