We had a question by a website visitor a few weeks ago: “Thank you for your ‘Acoustic wave therapy for cellulite: does it work?’ page. What about lipedema (lipoedema)? If it doesn't work on soft fat, what about the hard fat that forms from lipedema? I have lipoedema, as do 1/10 women. I'm not sure what stage, as doctors don't know much about it. Just wondering if you have tried AWT on lipedema, as there is no research so far.” I have to say this is a very smart question and (unless ones has specifically studied the anatomy of adipose tissue and the science of AWT) makes a lot of sense. However, the devil is always in the detail. So let’s look at the details.
Cellulite vs fat vs lipedema: is it all "just fat"?
Subcutaneous adipose tissue is a distinct fat tissue UNDER the skin. This is the fat that can be removed by liposuction. Cellulite is a totally different thing. It is not fat under the skin, it is fat INSIDE the skin and it is, of course, found ABOVE the subcutaneous adipose tissue. As it is part of the skin, it can obviously not be removed by liposuction…