The Condition So Many Women Have Been Told Is “Just Cellulite.”
For years, women have been encouraged to exfoliate harder, massage more, or simply accept that stubborn dimpling, heaviness and discomfort in the legs or hips are “normal”. But for many, the issue isn’t cellulite at all — it’s lipodema, a condition that affects the deeper fat tissue and behaves very differently from cosmetic surface changes.
This Morning’s Josie Gibson has been open and honest about her diagnosis and she has us all asking the questions – What is lipodema and what can I do about it?
What is Lipodema?
Lipodema often presents with uneven texture, tenderness, swelling and sensitivity to touch. Unlike cellulite, which sits closer to the skin’s surface, lipodema involves inflammation and fibrosis within the deeper fat layer. This is why so many women describe symptoms that go beyond appearance — aching legs, pressure, heaviness and fluctuating swelling throughout the day.
“Lipodema is frequently misunderstood because it doesn’t behave like typical fat or cellulite,” explains Dr Jorjani: “The tissue becomes inflamed and fibrotic, making it denser, less responsive and often painful. Traditional cellulite treatments simply don’t reach the layer where the problem exists.”
Why Traditional Treatments Fail
Surface-focused treatments like creams, dry brushing or even aggressive massage cannot reach deep enough to affect lipoderma. In some cases, overly vigorous manipulation can worsen inflammation rather than improve it.
“Lipoderma isn’t due to lifestyle or lack of effort,” says Dr Jorjani. “It’s a structural and inflammatory condition within the fat. That’s why so many people feel nothing ever works.”
How Lipodema Should be Treated
Current guidelines divide treatments into conservative approaches and surgical ones.
Conservative treatments include:
– Manual lymphatic drainage
– Compression
– Lifestyle support such as movement and inflammation control
Surgical treatments include:
– Liposuction combined with Morpheus8 Burst and Quantum RF
– Post-liposuction use of Morpheus8 Burst and Quantum RF to support controlled remodelling
“We use Morpheus8 burst and Quantum RF together with liposuction and again after liposuction,” Dr Jorjani explains. “This combination supports tissue remodelling, helps reduce fibrosis and improves the overall behaviour of the affected fat. They’re not used alone for lipodema, because that’s not supported in the guidelines.”
Patients often first notice a change in how the tissue feels: reduced soreness, less heaviness and improved softness before any visible smoothing occurs.
Why Awareness Matters
Lipodema remains widely underdiagnosed. Many women live with discomfort for years, like Josie, wrongly blaming themselves or assuming it’s simply cellulite. Raising awareness helps shift the narrative away from frustration and towards proper diagnosis and treatment.
“When patients discover their symptoms have a name, there’s real relief,” says Dr Jorjani. “It validates their experience and opens the door to treatments that genuinely make sense for their condition.”
Lipoderma deserves recognition as a medical condition — one that goes far deeper than the surface and requires an approach that does the same.