Carla Keech was only 10 years old when she first noticed that her legs were larger than those of other girls her age.<\/p>\n
PE lessons were the worst. Not only did she dread changing in front of other girls, but the unflattering gym skirts left her painfully self-conscious.<\/p>\n
\u2019I would look at other girls in my class who had toned legs with slim thighs and wonder why mine didn\u2019t look like that,\u2019 says Carla, now 39.<\/p>\n
\u2019I didn\u2019t understand why I was gaining weight or why my legs were growing so large\u00a0\u2013 especially when I had a slim waist and collarbones that stuck out.\u2019<\/p>\n
It would be more than two decades before Carla would find out that her swollen legs were not due to being overweight, but were triggered by a medical condition called lipoedema, a condition characterised by an abnormal build-up of fat beneath the skin.<\/p>\n
It occurs most commonly in the legs, hips and bottom, and sometimes the arms\u00a0\u2013 often creating a striking imbalance between the upper and lower body.<\/p>\n
Lipoedema can cause pain, tenderness, easy bruising and a disproportionate body shape that does not respond to a conventional diet or exercise.<\/p>\n
And it was not until she was given this diagnosis that Carla was eventually able to access a life-changing surgery that shrunk the size of her legs and allowed her to, for the first time, wear shorts.<\/p>\n
\u2019I thought it was my fault at the time,\u2019 says Carla. \u2019My legs felt heavy and bruised easily, which only made me want to hide them even more.<\/p>\n
\u2019It didn\u2019t help that I was tall for my age. At five foot six, I already stood out among the more petite girls\u00a0\u2013 I didn\u2019t want another reason to feel different.<\/p>\n
\u2019I dreaded photos, school discos and mufti days. While everyone else wore short skirts and dresses, I hid behind baggy jeans and trousers.\u2019<\/p>\n
As an adult, Carla found herself trapped in a cycle of yo-yo dieting. Even when she lost weight, the fat on her legs refused to budge\u00a0\u2013 leaving her frustrated and demoralised.<\/p>\n
![\"Carla](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/04\/22\/10\/108023699-15748161-Carla_Keech_now_39_pictured_in_2009_has_struggled_with_her_leg_s-a-1_1776849924940.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCarla Keech, now 39, pictured in 2009, has struggled with her leg size since puberty<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Despite](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/04\/21\/12\/108023675-15748161-Despite_losing_weight_Carla_struggled_with_stubborn_fat_on_her_l-a-5_1776770307607.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nDespite losing weight, Carla struggled with stubborn fat on her legs, pictured here in April 2024<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Pictured](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/04\/21\/12\/108039251-15748161-Pictured_in_Egypt_in_November_2025_Carla_now_feels_confident_wea-a-7_1776770312364.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nPictured in Egypt in November 2025, Carla now feels confident wearing shorts again<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2019I\u2019ve lost count of how many times I\u2019ve started running or eating healthily, watched the scale go down, and still seen no change in my legs.<\/p>\n
\u2019The weight would come off my stomach, but never where I wanted it to. I had to wear size 16 trousers just to get them over my thighs\u00a0\u2013 but there was always a huge gap at the back because of my small waist.<\/p>\n
\u2019Eventually, I\u2019d just think, “What’s the point?”\u00a0\u2013 and the weight would pile back on.\u2019<\/p>\n
Two pregnancies only worsened her symptoms, though she assumed it was simply baby weight.<\/p>\n
On summer holidays, she would sit by the pool, watching other women pass by in shorts and bikinis.<\/p>\n
\u2019I would always look to see if anyone had legs like mine\u00a0\u2013 but they never did. I remember seeing women much bigger than me and thinking how unfair it was that even they had slimmer legs.\u2019<\/p>\n
The turning point came while working as a receptionist at a hospital when a colleague suggested a thigh lift.<\/p>\n
Hopeful that surgery might finally shift the stubborn fat, Carla booked a consultation with a plastic surgeon.<\/p>\n
But instead of recommending surgery, the doctor gave her an unexpected response, explaining that she most likely had lipoedema.<\/p>\n
\u2019It was the first time I\u2019d ever heard the word,\u2019 Carla recalls. \u2019But as soon as he explained it, everything clicked\u00a0\u2013 I fit the description exactly.\u2019<\/p>\n
Thought to affect around one in ten women, the condition is often triggered by hormonal changes such as puberty, pregnancy and the menopause.<\/p>\n
\u2019I walked out of the appointment and burst into tears. I felt ashamed, upset and relieved all at once,\u2019 says Carla.<\/p>\n
\u2019When I got home and told my husband, and he just hugged me, I realised it wasn\u2019t my fault. That diagnosis changed everything.\u2019<\/p>\n
A growing number of celebrities, including Shaughna Phillips, Josie Gibson, Kerry Katona and Gemma Atkinson\u00a0\u2013 and most recently Doja Cat\u00a0\u2013 have helped thrust lipoedema into the spotlight.<\/p>\n
Though research is ongoing, experts believe female hormones\u00a0\u2013 particularly oestrogen\u00a0\u2013 may play a key role in the development and progression of lipoedema.<\/p>\n
Treatment options on the NHS are limited, with specialist services scarce and surgical interventions, which many patients find necessary, rarely funded.<\/p>\n
Many women go for years or their entire lives without receiving an accurate diagnosis due to a lack of awareness within the medical profession.<\/p>\n
\u2019If I\u2019d gone ahead with the thigh lift, I think the lipoedema would have just kept growing\u00a0\u2013 it might even have made it worse,\u2019 says Carla.<\/p>\n
\u2019Because it\u2019s a progressive disease and a lot of surgeons don\u2019t really understand it, I honestly think I\u2019d be a lot worse off now.\u2019<\/p>\n
In April 2025, Carla visited London-based lipoedema specialist Dr Dennis Wolf, who recommended a procedure known as VASER liposuction.<\/p>\n
Often described as the \u2019gold standard\u2019 treatment for lipoedema, VASER liposuction uses ultrasound energy waves to break down stubborn fat deposits. This is then removed from the skin through a surgical tube under anaesthetic.<\/p>\n
However, the treatment comes at a high cost. Carla paid around \u00a313,000 for two rounds of the procedures.<\/p>\n
According to Dr Dennis Wolf, it is not available on the NHS because\u00a0there is no official NHS definition of lipoedema.<\/p>\n
This, he argues, means that it is unclear exactly how many patients would qualify for\u00a0\u2013 or benefit from\u00a0\u2013 the treatment.<\/p>\n
Health officials at the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), who decide what the NHS will spend money on, also argue that the long-term benefits of the treatment are still unclear.<\/p>\n
However, for Carla, it was worth the money.<\/p>\n
\u2019We couldn\u2019t really afford it,\u2019 she says. \u2019But I just thought, “I\u2019ve got to have it\u00a0\u2013 it\u2019s the only option.”\u2019<\/p>\n
![\"In](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/04\/21\/12\/108023713-15748161-In_April_2025_Carla_is_pictured_pre_surgery_with_her_legs_as_the-a-8_1776770316047.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nIn April 2025, Carla is pictured pre-surgery with her legs as they were before treatment<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Carla\u00bfs](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/04\/22\/12\/108023673-15748161-Carla_s_calves_are_pictured_eight_days_after_her_second_surgery_-m-34_1776855796522.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCarla\u2019s calves are pictured eight days after her second surgery in August 2025<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2019Four or five weeks later, I had the surgery. I went back on a diet to prepare myself as much as possible and, on the day, my husband took me to London.<\/p>\n
\u2019The operation took around three hours, and I woke up to a cup of tea and a biscuit before heading home.<\/p>\n
\u2019I took a week off work\u00a0\u2013 the recovery was pretty brutal at first. It\u2019s not nice to look at while your legs are healing and the bandages need constant changing.\u2019<\/p>\n
Carla underwent her second surgery in July last year. \u2019I found it easier the second time because I knew what to expect,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n
\u2019The pain was more manageable and the healing time was shorter but it was a very quiet summer\u00a0\u2013 I was bandaged up and covered most of the time.\u2019<\/p>\n
![\"Carla](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/04\/21\/12\/108039247-15748161-Carla_is_pictured_one_day_post_op_in_August_2025_in_full_compres-a-11_1776770322901.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCarla is pictured one day post-op in August 2025, in full compression following her second surgery<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"Carla\u00bfs](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/04\/21\/12\/108023705-15748161-Carla_s_legs_were_badly_bruised_after_the_surgery_which_is_a_nor-a-12_1776770325667.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\nCarla\u2019s legs were badly bruised\u00a0 after the surgery, which is a normal part of the healing process<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\u2019The hardest part is wearing the compression garments for six to eight weeks after surgery when you\u2019re out or at work, as you have to wear your clothes over the top.\u2019<\/p>\n
But for Carla, the results have been life-changing.<\/p>\n
As well as her legs looking slimmer and more toned, her weight has dropped from around 12st 12lbs to around 10st 3lbs – which she attributes to a combination of the surgeries and following the WeightWatchers programme.<\/p>\n
For the first time since childhood, she feels comfortable showing her legs\u00a0\u2013 swapping baggy jeans for shorts.<\/p>\n
\u2019I can now pick up a size eight or 10 in trousers and know they\u2019ll fit over my calves and thighs,\u2019 she says.<\/p>\n
\u2019I used to dread going shopping and trying things on\u00a0\u2013 and boots were out of the question because they wouldn\u2019t fit over my calves.<\/p>\n
\u2019I\u2019m really happy with my shape now. The loose skin isn\u2019t perfect but I\u2019d take that over the excess fat any day.<\/p>\n
\u2019The surgery was a no-brainer\u00a0\u2013 I\u2019d recommend it a thousand times over.<\/p>\n
\u2019In November, we went on a family holiday to Egypt and, for the first time in years, I felt comfortable wearing a bikini and shorts.<\/p>\n
\u2019I\u2019m excited to wear my summer clothes and get my legs out, something teenage me never got to do.<\/p>\n
\u2019The reaction from friends and family has been lovely. They can see how much happier and more confident I am.\u2019<\/p>\n
![\"'In](\"https:\/\/i.dailymail.com\/1s\/2026\/04\/21\/12\/108023681-15748161-_In_November_2025_I_experienced_my_first_holiday_feeling_confide-a-13_1776770328173.jpg\")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n‘In November 2025, I experienced my first holiday feeling confident enough to wear a shorter dress,’ says Carla<\/p>\n<\/div>\n