Plastic surgery for bulky legs

[habibihabibi]

I am from a family of long slim legged females but her fathers genetics have dealt my niece short very big bulky legs that are thick thighed and calved and no ankles. I can see she suffers, never wearing short skirts dresses or shorts or jeans
and crying when she went shopping with my sister because she can't get boots to fit her ankles . She is a student and lives in trainers and baggy tracksuit pants.
She is in her 20s and about to start work and wants to have surgery and lipo on her legs.

Does that even work ?
Has anyone had it done .

Yes I am worried that plastic surgery won't give her the results she thinks.
Size wise she is tiny 6/8 on the top, small compact bust and wears drawstring 3XL mens track bottoms because of her legs. She has seen a consultant in the past but is now fixated on plastic surgery. It has been along time since I have seen her out of trackies but it looks like her legs are tightly swollen thigh to foot.

That is a really extreme difference has she seen a doctor about lipodema? if not that would be more sensible than going straight to surgery. There is no cure but it can be helped with certain exercises, massage and in some cases liposuction.
If its not lipodema getting her confidence up is more sensible than surgery. I also come from a family of chunky legged woman and my mum refuses to wear anything above mid calf length. I was very self conscious as a teen and in my early 20s but now in my mid 20s i've adopted an attitude of not caring and buying clothes I like and that suit me even if they show my legs. Exercising has helped not by changing my shape but when i'm feeling down about the size of them I can tell myself my legs might be chunky but they are strong and healthy and can run and jump and squat just as well as if they where thinner.

That sounds like a medical condition to me, possibly lipodema, I am unsure to be honest surgery will work. It will short term. But likely not have the effect she wishes and then will only last a few years before it builds back up again.

I would advise her to speak to her gp before she has any surgery, becayse she could cause more harm.

There is a girl whose name I can't remember who has just had surgery for lipodemia because she was so badly trolled about her legs. Have a google. The end result was very positive.

Are you / your niece aware of 'Shona from Love Island'. I mention her for 2 reasons:

• It sounds like your niece may have a similar physique. Shona was diagnosed with lipoedema (after Love Island) and went on to have liposuction.
• Although she did get some trolling for her legs. I also noticed a lot of comments from men about how attractive they found her. Whilst being fancied by love island fans (or any /random blokes) shouldn't be a burning ambition for young women, this may help to your niece understand how what she likes about herself really matters and how people will see her as a whole.
• I also had a friend with lipoedema who eventually saw a surgeon on the NHS. It was a good thing for her. She was very self conscious and struggled with clothes, boots and even shoes - practically as well as aesthetically. Whatever treatment she had, it certainly made a difference to her ankles and she considered it a worthwhile thing to do.

What did the consultant say? She needs medical advice about what can be done.

I’m like this and have recently been diagnosed with Lipoedema which can be treated by specialist liposuction which I hope to have done next year. If it is lipoedema it will continue to get worse even if she diets and exercises, so it’s worth seeing a specialist to have it diagnosed.

SOme of these attitudes are so depressing!!

I have a friend with lymphedema. She hasn’t I’ve legs. She is also very sexy and successful.

So what? She needs medically treatment but then probably therapy to build up her self-esteem. And a new family that doesn’t wang on about their “slim legs”!

*has huge

There is a clinic called "The Karri clinic" near Hull who do these kind of operations. I was looking for something else when I came across outlast year.
Their website shows lots of old they have done.and with real clients.might be worth looking at

Most of the posters here are so rude. My legs are awful, always have been, even when very slim. My mum is the same. I bet I have this. There is very little you can do.

@Oblomov20 don’t beat yourself up about it! there are things you can do to minimise growth even if surgery isn’t the right option for you. Lots of good information online and a large group of thousands of women across the world on Facebook called Lipodema Warriors. It’s worth reading up about as it helped me to see that it isn’t my fault at all, and I decided to go for surgery to stop it growing more, hoping to have this in the new year with Dr Gupta at Hunar Clinic.

@Oblomov20 I don't see how we have been rude. Quite the opposite, making suggestions and offering support.

@habibihabibi style wise, my friend used to wear a lot of long dresses and skirts, boho style when young. She is now a corporate banker and wear wide legged trousers with usually a wrap sweater which suits her very much.

Thanks for all the responses. It has been very enlightening re lipoderma.
My niece is looking into an online consultation with the Hunar clinic.

I only referenced my and my sisters legs to illustrate that it is not something we deal with, not too be bitchy. We are a supportive family but and my sister has waited to take my nieces lead on this, not forcing her into anything. However she now feels gulity to have neglected something medical rather than genetic .

It does sound like lipodema. I have this - even as a size 8 I still couldn't find a pair of wellies that would go over my calves. I'm a 10ish on top now and my legs are very disproportionate to my top half. It was very upsetting all through my late teens and twenties although I've kind of learned to live with it. I moonlight as a fitness instructor and I definitely don't have the legs of your average fitness instructor! Luckily mine has never progressed to later stages and I don't have the "cuff" at the ankle that many people get, and I'm sure that 20 odd years of regular exercise has helped.

If it is lipodema it needs a particular type of liposuction (tumescent liposuction I think) which only a handful of surgeons in the UK perform and generally isn't available on the NHS. I'm in a few lipodema facebook groups and many people from the UK travel abroad as there is more choice of surgeons with the right expertise and it's a lot cheaper, I think Germany and Spain are popular. There are lots of really good success stories and before/after photos.

It's not helpful when people say "you just need to be more confident" when you know your legs will never, ever look nice in a dress in the summer.

Spinning makes a huge difference to leg shape. Do you think she’d be interested @habibihabibi? I have thick legs, as do my mum, my sister and aunts. Spinning gives them much more shape, more in and out curves, rather than just thick straight lines. I have a peloton bike so fit this in easily at home.

Take her to Duo boots, she WILL find boots that fit her there.

This is awful. She is healthy but doesn't have the staring feature coveted by women in her family. If she's suffering so much from this then I think her family have let her down.

I have legs like this. It made no odds when I was slim. I still had shapeless hefty looking legs.

Now I’m fat they are the same but fatter.

Sometimes there are medical reasons for it - sometimes it is just the shape you are made.

Just as well I’m so ruddy ugly that people judge me on that instead of my legs.

I hope she finds something that helps - whether it be a medical procedure or styling.